


Ashen Heart

by Benny_Boiii



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Apocalypse, Gen, Natural Disasters, New York City
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 25,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23345656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benny_Boiii/pseuds/Benny_Boiii
Summary: Everyone knew it was coming, but when it came, no one was prepared. The Yellowstone Volcanic eruption took out much of the Unites States, except for parts of the Eastern Coast which luckily took a minimal blow. Years later though, things have changed and more ash has started to blow over, covering the rest of the country and turning it into an "apocalyptic wasteland" The only escape is to leave the country, which many people have already done, but where do they go once out of the states? Meet Alexander Hamilton, a now single father to his son Phillip, as he tries desperately to escape the States and go back home to a small, mostly deserted Island in the Caribbean. As he leaves, he must face pockets of dangerous gangs, plus past trauma and rivalries all in a mad dash to a better future for him and his son.
Relationships: George III of the United Kingdom/Samuel Seabury, George Washington/Martha Washington, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, Theodosia Burr Alston/Philip Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24





	1. Day 1776

**Author's Note:**

> This story is also on my Wattpad but I just wanted to put it here too cause I can

It's been nearly 5 years since the eruption... 1776 days to be exact and yes, I counted them all. What else was I supposed to do?

My name is Alexander Hamilton, some call me Alex, but don't call me Lexi, I hate it. Like I said, I've been stuck here for almost 5 years, the airports have long been shut down since the ash blew over cause y'know, Ash isn't good for flying

Oh, here by the way is New York, not very much is left of it, most of the population is gone. All that remains are the empty buildings, stragglers like me, oh and the lobsters

The lobsters, as we call them, are the largest gang in America, stretching across the entire Eastern coast practically. They're backed by this millionaire rich bitch who calls himself "King" or whatever

The nerve of some people. Makes me sick

Anyways that's enough exposition for now, time to get on with this

My day normally starts around 5 am, sometimes earlier, sometimes later depending on the amount of light in the morning. I get up, grab my backpack full of supplies (a bottle of water, maybe some food, a map and compass, rope, extra bullets, and a communicator), my gun (see backpack for extra bullets) and of course my gas mask

Nothing too fancy, just one I found in a lobster abandoned building, kinda looks like what you would see in the movies. Just enough to keep me from dying from the ash

Anyhow, I leave my house and walk downtown after making sure the vent system and airtight locks are on (Which I built myself, you're welcome). Don't want no stupid suffocating ash in my house

The walk downtown has become peaceful at this point. No NY traffic or angry pedestrians blaring at you, no crowded side walks. Sure you might have to run for your life from some lobsters once in awhile, but other than that it's a nice walk to the more urban part of the city

Once downtown, my routine really gets going

1\. Check abandoned buildings for supplies: find anything that might be useful and or valuable, spare parts for vent systems, food, water filtration systems, extra masks, medical supplies, ammunition etc. Keep searching until around 7 am, or when the light has become much stronger

2\. Scope for lobsters: Find out the latest movements and where their camps are. Avoid those areas at all costs. 

3\. Go home: Yeah that's about it, I could spend more time out, but I had a son to take care of

My 9 year old son Phillip was still at home, possibly awake now but who knows, kids have weird sleep schedules. I had to get back to him, before he thought something bad had happened to me. I took a quick swig from my water and packed it up before heading on my way back home

Or that would've happened, but things were gonna be a bit different today

"SOMEONE HELP!!" A male voice rang out. I instinctively ducked behind an abandoned car and looked back towards the source of the voice, cursing whatever idiot decided to just scream out in the open

The man looked to be about my age, but I couldn't see any discerning features. He was wearing long sleeves and pants (so he wasn't a complete idiot) and I could tell he had darkish tan skin. But I couldn't see much about his build to tell if he was a threat, or just some poor starving soul

I inched my way closer while still under cover to try and see what this man had to say "SOMEONE HELP!! MY DAUGHTER FELL DOWN AN OPEN SEWER GRADE AND HURT HER ARM" the man called and I immediately softened up

If this man truly had a daughter who needed help.. well I couldn't just sit by and do nothing. I cursed at my own softness before coming out of cover and holding my hands up to show I was a friendly figure

"Where's your daughter??" I asked, loud enough for the man to hear me and he stopped his yelling to look at me. We made eye contact and both froze as we recognized each other 

"Alexander??" the man called and I sighed "Aaron Burr- How lovely is is to see you again"


	2. Side Quest ft an Old Rival and his cute kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Aaron team up again after years of hating each other

Of all the people- of all the FUCKING PEOPLE LEFT IT NEW YORK IT JUST HAAAAAAAD TO BE AARON BURR

But I digress, you probably don't even know who the fuck I'm talking about. Let me explain

Blah Blah Blah, High School enemies, Blah Blah worked at the same Law Firm, Blah Blah I may or may not have ruined his chance for the promotion he had been fighting for. In case you can't tell, I really do not give a lot of shits about this guy

But if he could be trusted, his daughter needed help, so I would put aside my instinct to strangle this man and help him. I lowered my arms and let them hung limply by my sides "Re-introductions later" I said, getting back to business "Where is your daughter??"

For a moment, Aaron looked just as pissed as I felt, but soon he sighed and his face became full of worry again "We were walking and she accidentally stepped on a loose man hole cover. It fell in, and so did she" He explained

"Yes I got that, I heard you loudly advertising you despair, I mean where is the man hole??" I asked. Aaron huffed angrily "Two blocks over" He said and turned "Hurry" He called over his shoulder before taking off quickly down the street

Stupid motherfucker and his long ass legs-

I sighed and ran to catch up with Aaron. He suddenly stopped about two blocks away from where he had meet and looked around before booking it to an open hole in the middle of the street. "Why the hell were you even walking in the middle of the street?!" I asked, exasperated by the idiocy of some people

"We've walked on this street for weeks, we've been fine" Aaron said and grabbed a flash light from a pack he had on his back before shinning it into the hole "Theo?!" He called out desperately. A moment later, A young girls voice called up "Papa?! Is that you?!" it said. "It's me baby cakes, it's ok, I'm here and I brought help!!" Aaron called down into the hole before turning back to me

"Please tell me you have rope or something-" he said quickly and I rolled my eyes "I'm not an imbecile like you are. How strong are you??" I asked as I set my pack down to fish my rope out. "Depends on how much you weigh" Aaron said and looked back down into the hole

"Not much, crazy what a near apocalyptic situation does to you" I said and began to tie the rope like a harness around my waist and chest before giving the other end to Aaron "If you drop me, I swear I will climb out of that hole and kill you myself if we don't get spotted by a gang of Lobsters first" I said

Aaron took the free end of the rope and nodded "Understood-" he mumbled then turned his attention back to the hole "Hang on Theo, we're going to get you out!!" He called down. Silence followed which I took to mean that the little girl, Theo, had gotten the message

I sat down at the edge of the man hole with my feet dangling in. I looked back up to make sure Aaron was ready before sliding off of the edge and into the dark hole. I only fell for about a foot or two before the rope caught and I jerked to a stop

"Holy hell-" Aaron cursed and I looked up to see him struggling to keep the rope from sliding too much too quickly "Don't you dare drop me-" I warned again "Yeah I know!!" Aaron called down before starting to lower me down deeper into the hole

The further down I went, the darker and colder it was, but the cool air was welcome when compared to the perpetual heat of the outside

The light from the outside, and the powerful beam from Aaron's flashlight was enough to light up the way all the way to the bottom. Eventually I touched ground and began searching for the girl, who I found curled up in a corner as far away from the light as possible

Theo looked to be around the same age as my son Phillip, and I could definitely see the resemblance to her father, even with a gas mask obscuring part of her face. She looked up at me, pushing her curly pigtails out of her face "A-are you here to rescue me??" She asked and I nodded "I am, my name is Alexander, and I know you dad, now let's get you out of here" I said calmly. Hey I'm a dad, I know how to talk to scared kids

Theo got up carefully, cradling her left arm as she moved "I'll look at your arm once we get out of here and to somewhere safe ok?? How does that sounds??" I asked and Theo nodded "Ok mister.." she said and made her way over to me "How are we gonna get back up??" She asked

"Your dad is up at the top, he'll pull us out" I said and that answer seemed to satisfy the girl "Grab on" I said and crouched down a bit. Theo attached herself as best she could to my chest and I held her close so she wouldn't fall "Get us outta here!!" I called up and soon we were being lifted out of the hole

After a couple painful minutes for Aaron, we were out and back on the street. I helped Theo out of the hole before hoisting myself up onto the rim. Once Aaron saw we were both out and on solid ground, he dropped the rope and collapsed in a heap trying to catch his breath. Theo ran over to him "Papa are you ok?!" She asked worriedly and Aaron held up a thumbs up "I'm ok baby cakes" he wheezed before pushing himself up into a sitting position

Theo hugged him tightly with his good arm and sobbed with relief "Papa I was so scared, I thought I would be stuck down there!!" she cried and Aaron held his daughter close "I know, but you're safe now" he said before looking over at me "Thank you" he said and I nodded curtly back in response "This has been sweet and all, but we should really get out of the street and into cover. Besides I have my own son to look after" I said and got up, untying the makeshift harness from my mid-section

"Of course, didn't mean to keep you for long. I'll be seeing you around I guess" Aaron said and got up, picking up Theo with him. "Oh no" I said "As much as I hate saying this, but I have to look at Theo's arm, so looks like we'll be spending a bit more unwanted time together"


	3. My son is better than Burr's Kid (End of Debate)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex takes Aaron and Theo to his apartment to meet a cute lil bean (and also to help them out)

The entire way back to my apartment was done in complete silence. It was obvious Aaron and I did not want to be around each other for much longer, but his daughter needed help so that's what I told myself "If it were Phillip, you'd want the same thing to happen" I lost count of how many times I said that little mantra to myself, but it worked

We arrive back to the apartment complex that me and my son lived in. It was the same building we had lived in before the eruption (which *ahem* no need to brag, but was the top floor penthouse) and neither of us had had a very big drive to leave it any time soon

We climbed the stairs and when we got to my apartment I told Aaron to wait outside with Theo. I unlocked the airtight lock and pushed the door open and walked inside. I couldn't see Phillip so I assumed he was still asleep so I turned back to Aaron and Theo "Come in, but be quiet my son is asleep" I said in a hushed whisper

Aaron nodded in understanding and set Theo down as they both walked into the apartment. I closed the door behind them and took off my gas mask after a moment "It's safe to breath in here" I said and Aaron took off his own mask. Theo o the other hand was too busy running around "Papa look at this place!!" She said in a hushed whisper of excitement

Even Aaron seemed a bit taken aback by my living quarters which was 110% fine with me. Just another thing I could brag about to Aaron. "Theo come here and let me get your mask" Aaron said quietly and Theo ran back to Aaron so he could take off her mask. Once that was done, the little girl went back to her exploration

"Ok ok stop running around, you're gonna hurt your arm more" I said and went to the cabinet to get the medical kit "Alexander is right Theo.. you need to sit down" Aaron said and Theo pouted momentarily before plopping down on the couch. I got the med kit down and made my way over to her, sitting next to her and carefully taking her arm

Theo winced slightly and as I looked at her arm, it was obvious she had banged it pretty badly. "Looks like you sprained your wrist and scratched it up pretty good- Just be careful when you use it" I said and started getting something to clean up the scratches. "So I'll be ok??" Theo asked and I nodded "Yep, should be healed pretty soon as long as your don't hurt it again" I explained and started wrapping her arm up after cleaning it

Aaron sat down nearby in a chair and watched his daughter carefully up until the moment I finished and sat back "There, that should do it" I said and Theo sprung up "Thank you Mister!!" She said happily and I couldn't help but smile softly "Of course" I said back. No I am not a softie she's just really cute and how could I not be polite??

I got up and went to go put the med kit back in it's normal spot, but I caught a glimpse of someone standing in the hallway and I immediately turned. It was my son Phillip, still half asleep in his pajamas, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and clutching a teddy bear. He walked out into the living room and smiled sleepily once he saw me "Morning po-" he started to say but then realized we had guests "Uhhh..-" he stammered while looking at Aaron and Theo

Aaron got up once he saw Phillip "Perhaps this is the perfect time to go-" he suggested and Theo pouted again "But Papa where would we go?? Just back to the sewers??" She asked "I dunno but these that man Mister Alex seems really nice" "I'm sorry but- who are you people and what are you doing here?!" Phillip pipped up. I sighed "Phillip this is an old coworker of mine Aaron Burr and his daughter Theo" I said to my son before turning to Aaron and his daughter "Burr- this is my son Phillip" I said

Theo immediately rush over and took Phillip's hand to shake it enthusiastically, which woke my son up fully "Hi I'm Theodosia but everyone calls me Theo!!" She chirped happily "Phillip-" my son said "Why are you here exactly-?" he asked "I fell down a whole and my Papa got your Papa and they helped me out!!" She informed him

"Just now?? Why didn't anyone wake me up??" Phillip asked and looked at me "I wanted to make sure you were asleep, but now that you're up would you like something to eat??" I asked. Phillip nodded "Yes please" he said and Theo turned to her father "Papa do you have any food??" She asked and Aaron shook his head "I'm sorry baby cakes, I didn't bring any" he said and Theo groaned "But I'm hungryyyyyy" she whined before my son piped up "I'm sure we have something" he said and gave me a look

I sighed "Let me look-" I grumbled and went to the pantry

Pip sat down on the couch with his feet tucked up under him and Theo plopped down next to him and looked at his teddy bear and giggled "Is that yours??" She asked and Aaron (who had been looking very uncomfortable the entire time) shot her a look "It's not nice to go prying into other's people's business Theodosia" he warned and Theo looked down "Sorry papa-" she mumbled

Well at least Burr was teaching her SOME manners-

"No it's ok, it's mine yeah" Phillip said and held the bear close to him. I returned to my mission of grabbing food from the pantry and plopped it down on the bar counter "Here" I called and Phillip got up and made his way over. He climbed up onto the high stools "Thanks Pops" he said before starting to eat, Theo eventually making her way over and following suit "Thanks Mister!!"

I cast a glance over at Aaron who had made himself busy by wandering around the room. He came to a stop at the fireplace, where some pictures were resting on the mantle. I waiting until he made a move for one before calling out "You should take you own advice and not meddle in other's personal affairs" I said and Aaron jumped

"Apologies, I just couldn't help but notice these" He muttered before going back to the couch and sitting down in defeat. I smirked lightly to myself before turning my attention back to the two children who were happily eating and chatting

Phillip finished eating first and I took his plate and dumped the scraps into the trash "Thanks pops" Phillip said before sliding out of his seat. Theo finished a moment later and thanked slid down before taking her own plate. Aaron looked proud of himself for a moment and I rolled my eyes

All of a sudden a loud beep sounded from my bedroom which caught my attention. Pip perked up too "It's mister John calling!!" He said and ran to my room. Aaron gave me a quizzical look "John?? As in Laurens??" He asked and I nodded "He's in South Carolina, we keep in touch with a radio system we both have" I said and followed Phillip into my room "We'll be back soon, don't touch anything!!" I called back before joining my son on the bed

He had already gotten the radio set from the bedside table and plopped it on the bed. Once I sat down Pip pressed the on button and John's voice flooded the room "Lex you there?? Man I've been trying to reach you for hours, we have a situation"


	4. Change of Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some startling news elicits a new plan of action

At hearing John's voice I felt a rush of different emotions ranging from joy to relief to confusion. "Jack what's going on?? What's the situation??" I asked and Phillip held his teddy bear close "Is Frances there??" he asked. "Bout time you fucking picked up Hamilton. Look we've got an opening to finally get the hell out of this absolute wasteland."

"Ok for starters, Hi let's start there. And secondly my son asked you if Frances was there" I said. I could hear John huff "Yes she's here" John said and there was a little bit of static before Frances, John's daughter's voice came through "Hi Pip!!" She said happily and Phillip smiled "Heya Frances" my son said. "Ok Frances give dad back the receptor" I heard John say faintly before his voice came through more clear "Do you wanna hear the rest of what I was gonna say or not Lex??"

I sighed "Go ahead, you said we've got an opening to leave??" I asked. "Yeah, I was just listening to some other channels, and a relief group has just left some huge boats down by the Virginia coast, we could get one and get the hell out of here and to the Caribbean where's there's no ash" John said "Virginia?? How the fuck am I supposed to get down there I'm still up in New York!!" I said

"Well then get the fuck down here Lex!! Frances and I are gonna hightail it down there. We'll wait as long as we can but there will probably be a shit ton of Lobsters down there too" John said and I could tell that his mind was set. I groaned "Alright fine, give me and Phillip time to get down there, should take awhile unless we can find a car and gas which'll be hard to come by"

"Start walking. Look we gotta go, We'll see you in Virginia, keep in touch I do NOT want to have to wait for another 2 months" John said and with that his voice disappeared and there was only static. I sighed and held my head. Virginia?? How the hell was I supposed to get down there with my son?? And where in the Caribbean were we gonna go?? How were we gonna survive??

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Phillip carefully patted my shoulder "Is everything ok Pops??" he asked and I sighed, letting out as much anger and confusion as I could "I'm ok son, just overwhelmed" I said and pulled him into a hug "Are we going to leave??" Phillip asked and I sighed "Probably, Uncle Jack told us a way to leave America and go to a place without any ash"

Phillip looked up at me with wide eyes "No ash??" He asked "A place like that exists??". My heart hurt and I rubbed Phillip's back "It does son, and we can go there" I said and my mind became set. I had to leave now, and show my son the world was out there, and it was ok

"Uncle Jack said we had to leave soon, does that mean now??" Phillip asked and I shrugged "It means soon, we have to get ready, and we can't walk all the way to Virginia, so we'd have to find some way to get there" I replied "Go ahead and go get dressed" I added and pulled away. "But what about Mister Burr and his daughter Theo??" Phillip asked and I cursed

"We'll get them back to their place" I said plainly "But shouldn't we give them a chance to get out of here too?? It isn't fair if we just live them here" Phillip said and I cursed again. I really did not want to travel with Aaron, at all, but Phillip had a good point, we couldn't just leave them here while he left the country. Plus an extra hand would be good, but that meant more mouths to feed. But more supplies to carry. Damnit

"Ok fine, we'll tell them we're leaving and see what they say, how about that??" I asked and Phillip beamed "That's a good plan Pops" he said and got up, sliding off of my bed and running out "I'm gonna go change!!" He called before I heard his bedroom door shut. I groaned and got up before going to talk to Aaron and his daughter

It looked like the two had been talking in the living room, but they had stopped when Phillip had run out. Aaron got up "We couldn't help but hear your conversation on the radio with John" Aaron said and I sighed "Yeah yeah, Phillip voted to take you two with us, if you want to come. It'll be a really hard trip" I said and crossed my arms

Theo looked up at her father "Papa I wanna go!! It'll be like a big adventure!!" She said and giggled happily. Aaron sighed and gave me a look which I held back. It was obvious we were thinking the same thing, but after a moment Aaron broke eye contact and sighed again "If Mr. Hamilton and his son would be willing to take us" he said and Theo clapped excitedly before looking at me

I rolled my eyes "Fine. Go home and gather up all the supplies you have, we'll do the same here. We can leave first thing tomorrow" I said. "Why not some time today??" Aaron asked "It makes more sense" "I'm in charge here so I'll decided when we leave. Besides, if we leave early enough the Lobsters won't be as active and we can get a head start towards the city's edge" I said which got Aaron to shut up

Theo took her father's hand "Come on papa we gotta go!!" She said and pulled him towards the door. Aaron chuckled but stopped and gave me another look "Thank you for considering us" He said and I waved him off "It was Phillip's idea, thank him. Now go get ready, and stay safe" I called and followed them to the door to see them out and make sure they didn't fuck up my ventilation system

Once they were gone and everything was was reset I leaned against the door and held my head. What the fuck had I gotten myself into??


	5. The Laurens Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John reveals his current situation and a snippet of his past via a diary entry and memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is kinda short, I'm just trying to write something for this story

_Dear Diary_

_I finally was able to get through to Alex, the bastard hadn't picked up in over 2 months, I was beginning to think he was dead. I told him of the current situation and that me and Frances were going to Virginia, with or without him and Philip. I know it sounded harsh, but I've got a feeling that things will only get worse if we don't leave soon. I've been stuck in South Carolina for too long, and Frances deserves a chance to get better in a place without ash... though I suppose with her ailment the only way TO get better is to leave the ash.. Alex better get there soon, I don't have the patience to wait for I don't want to risk losing my daughter_

_I can't be left alone... I just can't. It's been hard enough having to raise Frances on my own, but she's one of the only things keeping me going at this point, I couldn't imagine losing her.. not like this-_

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard Frances coughing harshly in her room, so I set my notebook and pen down before rushing over to her side. "Hey pumpkin.. you're ok, just deep breath" I said soothingly before noticing her empty glass beside her on the bedside table. "P-Papa did Philip hear me? You took the receptor too quickly.." She rasped as she craned her head to try look at the radio out in the kitchen. "Yes pumpkin he did.. But you shouldn't have gotten up and wasted your voice like that.." I said as I gently brushed her curls out of her face "I-I just wanted to say hi.." she said quietly and my heart ached to see my daughter so sad like this

"I'm going to go get you some more water ok Pumpkin??" I asked and Frances nodded slightly before nuzzling back into her bed. I smiled softly and kissed her warm forehead before taking the glass and going into the kitchen to refill it. After I returned I could tell that Frances was looking across her room to the picture frames she had insisted I move there when she was little. I couldn't help but stare at them too as all the memories they contained came flooding back to me

To a time before this nightmare..

_"Mama Papa come on!!" Frances called, impatiently tugging at our hands. I couldn't help but chuckle at my adorable 3 year old daughter in her hot pink bathing suit and duck floaties as she tried to drag up down to the river. I looked over at my wife who was laughing softly before speaking to our daughter with her soft voice "We're coming baby, don't you worry" she said, causing our little girl to giggle happily with_ _excitement. I smiled at the two of them, my two beautiful girls before Frances broke free from our grasps and ran the rest of the way to the riverbank "Pumpkin come back here!!" I called but it was too late, for Frances was already splish splashing around happily in the shallows of the river. I rolled my eyes and my wife elbowed my side "She's a rebel just like you are John" she said and I laughed softly before stealing a kiss from my wife's plump lips "It suits her" I said before my wife and I joined our daughter in the river on that perfect afternoon_

"Papa?? Papa?!" I was snapped out of my memories and away from the pictures to find Frances staring at me with wide eyes. My fist closed in on itself, only to find it was empty, with it's contents, the glass I had filled for Frances, now split on the floor and shattered into a million different pieces. "Papa are you ok??" Frances asked worriedly "You weren't responding.. a-and you dropped the glass... I was so worried.." Frances said as I abandoned the broken glass, making a mental note to sweep it up later, before rushing to my daughter's side and pulling her into a tight hug

"I'm alright Pumpkin.. just got lost in my thoughts.. You lay down and get some sleep.. I'll clean everything up and get you a new glass" I said, gently rubbing Frances's back to try and calm her down. "O-Ok Papa.." Frances said with a small cough before I pulled away and gently pushed her down onto the bed "Get some sleep, I mean it" I said softly before kissing Frances's forehead again, this time hopefully for the final time so she could get some rest, and so I wouldn't accidentally drop any more glasses. "Ok Papa.." Frances said and I smiled softly "Good girl.. I'll just be cleaning this up if you need me ok??" I asked and my daughter nodded. I sighed softly to myself and got up before walking back out into the living room, eyeing my open journal as I did before deciding to pick it up and cap off my entry

_Anyhow I'm going to cap this off here. Once Frances starts to recover we'll begin our trek up to Virginia. It shouldn't take too long hopefully, as long as Frances is healthy, and maybe we'll find an abandoned car that works. Anyways that's all for now, until tomorrow_

_John Laurens_


	6. Sad Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get an insight onto Alex's life before the eruption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> be warned, sadness follows

Eventually I forced myself to get up from the floor and began to start gathering up all of the supplies we had. As much as I hated the idea of leaving the safety of our apartment, as the saying goes I'd rather die on my feet then live on my knees. I had to get my son to a better place, even if it would cost me my life. I owed it to him. Despite how pissed I was at Aaron for waltzing his way back into my life, I owed it to his daughter too

After all like my own son, she didn't have a mother

No I'm not going into detail

...

Fine- Only cause I've got nothing better to do while I wait for Aaron and his daughter to return

Before this whole thing started, I was married to a well off, but beautiful and kind young woman named Elizabeth Schuyler. We met at a work even for the Law Firm I was working at, and immediately hit it off well with each other. After barely even a month of dating I asked her to marry me, which I was sure she would decline but to my surprise and overwhelming joy she happily agreed with an enthusiastic "Yes!!". I'll never forget how ecstatic she looked (and how radiant she looked in her light blue evening dress)

We married a few months later, or rather eloped. Not many people came, just some friends and Eliza's family at an outdoor venue. It was one of the most joyous days of my life, and another one I will never forget for as long as I live. We got an apartment together, the apartment that I still live in with my son, our son, before settling down into a contented domestic life

I found myself subconsciously moving towards my bedroom mantle where I still kept most of my pictures with Eliza. I carefully picked up one from our wedding and marveled at how beautiful Eliza looked in her wedding dress, her eyes soft brown eyes sparkling in the light streaming in through the trees. I felt my eyes welling up at tears as I set the picture down and looked at some of the other ones scattered about the room, joy in all of them, a joy that I hadn't felt in years

I forced myself to look away from the pictures so I could wipe my eyes. It had been five years since I lost Eliza, but the shock of losing her was still strong, even to this day. Everything just felt so monotone without her, I had trouble moving on, but I had to for Phillip. I went back out into the living room with a shaky sigh before turning to the mantle to find more pictures

These pictures were taken during Eliza's pregnancy with Phillip, and the subsequent baby pictures that followed. I picked one up of Eliza and I, holding a our baby son between us. His curly hair had just begone to grow in and it was a messy mop of curls that were every bit adorable as he was. He was happily chewing his hands in the picture and I let a sad chuckle escape my throat before going to the next photo

This one was a mix of two ultra sounds, when of Phillip, and one of my daughter Angie who was 2 when she died with he mother..

Angie was always a sickly child, slow in development and with a weak immune system, but she was such a happy child. She and Phillip were very close together, and he hated when she would have to leave to go to California for treatment. As much as we wanted to keep her close to us, New York just didn't have what we need, and Eliza's father retired in LA so we decided to do Angie's treatments there

They were flying back when the eruption happened.. and they were right by Wyoming which was the first to fall and the ash disrupted the navigation system causing them to go off course.. crashing into another plane that had been disrupted as well..

I received the call from the airlines the next day and it was the worst thing I had ever heard.. No survivors...

I refused to believe the news for weeks, praying that they were looking at the wrong flight. I tried calling Eliza a million times but none went through and when I finally accepted the news I was crushed. I'd lost my 2 year old daughter and soulmate all at the same time... and my son lost his mother and his best friend..

I wiped my face to try and hide the tears that had stained them before going to check on Phillip to see how he was doing. I found him on his bed... the one he had shared with his little sister. I remember the day it happened, Angie's crib had been in his room and when she was too big for it Phillip begged for them to share a bed. Eliza and I happily agreed, and Phillip stayed with Angie in the same room

When I found him we was looking at a couple pictures he'd had in his room, and clutching the teddy bear close to his chest.. Angie's teddy bear. Phillip had been young when the eruption happened, but he still knew the significance of it all, and what it meant to loose someone permanently

I sighed shakily before knocking on the wall, causing my son to look up at me "Hey bud.. you starting to pack up??" I asked and Pip nodded slightly before looking down at the pictures again "I don't know if I wanna leave Pops.." he said as I made my way over to sit next to him on the side of the bed "I know Phillip... I don't wan to leave either... but we have to, it's for the best" I said as I wrapped an arm around my son

Phillip wiped his eyes before sniffling quietly and leaning into my side "I miss them.." He said quietly and I sighed shakily "Me too bud... me too.. but that's all the more reason to leave right?? They'd want us to live a better and healthier life" I said, trying to make light of the crappy situation we were stuck in (one might call it a shituation) 

Pip nodded slightly before closing eyes for a moment "Ok.. you're right pops... but when we leave.. can I bring teddy and some pictures??" he asked while looking up at me and I kissed his forehead softly "Of course you can Phillip, bring as many as you think you can carry" I said and Phillip smiled softly

"Thanks pops.." He said and I chuckled softly "Of course Phillip.. anything for you"

_Anything..._


	7. Another Side Quest but I Actually like this one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two old friends of Alex's join the battle

That night Aaron returned with his daughter and as much stuff as the two could carry. While Theo was bouncing with excitement at the prospect of leaving, Aaron seemed just as reluctant as I was. I knew he'd once had a wife whom he'd lost before this shitshow, so perhaps he didn't want to leave the place where she'd once been so full of life

As much as I hated Aaron, we sadly had a lot in common

They set up temporary camp in the living room while Phillip and I slept in our own rooms, though I'm not sure how much sleep any of us actually got. When the morning came none of us spoke except the occasion "Don't forget that" and "Let's double check". It was a somber morning for everyone, and even little Theo who had been so chipper the day before knew to stay quiet

Aaron and I were both carrying 2 packs full of various supplies while our children each had a pack of clothing and their sleeping bags plus some personal items Aaron and I had allowed them to take. I had a feeling that he and I had also snuck in some mementos of our past lives. The two packs Aaron and I had were heavy as all hell, but we couldn't spare anything during the long trek ahead of us

After getting to the city proper I lead our little party through the back alleys of NYC, doing our best to avoid any groups of Lobsters that might be out around this time. After about an hour of walking I looked back to see our kids trailing behind further than normal so I paused in the safety of an alley and called for a break. At the call, Phillip and Theo both plopped down onto the ground and panted heavily "Papa it's so hot with all this stuff" Theo whined and Aaron opened the small canteen of water we allowed ourselves to have during the day

"I know baby-cakes, but we need all of this stuff if we want to get out of here" Aaron explained. "But why do we have to wear such thick clothes, and this mask is making my face sweaty" Theo whined "Would you rather be dead??" I asked and Theo shrunk into herself "Sorry-" she mumbled and Aaron glared at me which I took no notice to "It's just a fact" I said and shrugged before getting up

"Do we have to keep moving so much??" Phillip asked and I nodded "I want to try and be out of here and over into New Jersey within the next couple days. It'll take 11 days to get to Virginia without a car if we were to keep a steady pace without breaks, which of course wouldn't be plausible" I explained and Phillip looked at me blankly and I sighed "Let's just keep going" I said before a series of loud gun shots caused everyone to jump

I dropped my pack after salvaging my gun from it and motioning for everyone to stay while I went to go investigate, which you should never do by the way, but it was in the direction we needed to go so I had to see what it was all about. I slowly crept out of the alley, ducking behind a knocked over trash bin before a rush of red made me duck down even more

_Lobsters..._

I made sure my gun was loaded in case I was found out before peaking over the bin to find a mass of Lobsters running away, some half dressed, other's sporting wounds as more gunshots rang out nearby. I looked at the scene with adamant confusion, where were all these Lobsters coming from?? And who was attacking them??

I decided to go towards the direction the Lobsters were coming from as the crowd eventually dissipated and I was met with a bunch of angry cursing. The odd thing about it though, was that it wasn't in English, it was in French. And I only knew one person to speak French with such a perfect accent

"LAFAYETTE!!" I called before coming out of hiding with my hands raised, finger not on the trigger to show I was a friendly party. After a moment I heard Lafayette's voice call back before I turned a corner and say him standing in front of a familiar shop "ALEXANDRE?!" I heard him call back and I laughed happily before putting my gun into it's holster (Don't ask why I didn't have it there to begin with, I didn't want it accidentally going off and shooting myself in the leg while walking, you never know what might happen, even with the safety on)

Lafayette ran down from in front of the shop and enveloped me in a crushing hug "Mon dieu, je pensais que je ne te reverrais plus jamias!!" He ranted in French and I laughed before patting his back "It's good to see you too mon ami, how long have you been in New York?? I thought you went back to France years ago??" I asked as I pushed myself away to try and free myself from Lafayette's trapping embrace. "I snuck back in on a relief vessel, I could not just leave Hercules here alone. Speaking of, he would love to see you again, how long have you been here??" Lafayette asked as he dragged me into Hercules's old tailoring shop

"I've been here since I got here" I said and chuckled "I've just never been in this part of the city since the eruption" "Bien bien, this place has been crawling with Homards" Laf spat "They chased us out and took the shop over for their base, but we have finally taken it back!!" he added triumphantly and I laughed "It's good to hear that you and Herc are doing good, where is he??" I asked before hearing Hercules's voice calling from another room "Someone called?!"

I smiled brightly and called out for Hercules before trying to find where his voice had come from. I found him in a work room of sorts, and it looked like he was sitting behind and emptied chest before he looking up and smiled, his eyes lighting up once he saw me. I expected to be trampled by the big man as soon as he saw me but what he did next shocked me even more than just seeing him for the first time in years

Hercules maneuvered his way out from behind the chest and I could see that he was in fact sitting, but not in any sort of stationary chair. He was sitting in a wheelchair, with one leg on the ground and the other cut off at about his knee, wrapped on the end with a bandage. Hercules paused, probably as a result of seeing my shocked expression before he chuckled a bit "An eviction gift from the shits that've taken over the whole fucking East Coast" he said before turning to Lafayette who'd come in behind me

"Gil" Hercules said and Laf hummed, signalling that he was listening "The kid" Hercules added and Lafayette's eyes widened "MERDE!!" he cursed before dashing back towards the entrance, leaving Hercules shaking his head to himself and chuckling quietly before turning back to the mess the room had turned into, likely a result of the Lobsters trashing the place and looting it

"Whoa, hey, hi I still exists and I would like a little bit of an explanation like what the fuck actually happened and why do you got a kid to worry about??" I said and Hercules chuckled a bit more as he explained while slowly picking things up from around the room "Gil probably told you, but he snuck back into America with a kid he'd found abandoned over there. Name's Georges, and he's about your son's age. Anyways things were fine and dandy until about a year ago the Lobsters came and decided they wanted MY shop as a base"

"So they forced you out??" I asked while helping Hercules tidy up and he nodded. "Yep, Gil and I got a couple good shots in till my leg was blown off and they managed to get inside. We grabbed the kid and whatever else we could carry and bolted, or rather Gil carried me and Georges followed us. We've been jumping from place to place, even looted an abandoned hospital for this dandy thing" Hercules said before gesturing to the wheelchair he was sitting in

"And y'all just got the shop back today??" I asked and Hercules nodded "Bingo. Gil broke in and surprised the fools when they weren't on guard, spooked them all away and I snipped them from the back with my gun. We made Georges wait hidden in Central Park cause we didn't want him getting hurt which is where Gil went now" he finished and I sat down on the floor

"Is it safe to take my mask off??" I asked as Theo's whining from earlier suddenly made me anxious to get my mask off as well, and thankfully I was rewarded with that as Hercules did a quick check of the shops's ventilation "I'll give the Lobsters's credit in keeping the vents running" Hercules said as I peeled my mask of and discarded it to the side as he turned back to me

"Now your turn to fess up Hamilton. Why're you here alone??" Hercules ask, giving me a stare so intimidating it took all of my willpower to not get spooked "Easy, I'm getting outta this hell-hole, and if you're nice enough, there's a couple extra spots open in my party" I said and smirked while Hercules chuckled "Give us a bit of time to recuperate, but count us in"


	8. A Reunion of Old Friends and New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex leads his mini party to Hercules's shop for some much needed rest and recuperation

After Hercules and I agreed on how we would move forward with our trek I went back to get Aaron and our two kids, who were relieved when I cam back unharmed. Phillip rushed over to me and clung to me tightly and I happily held him in return "I'm ok bud, and you won't believe who I found" I said and Aaron gave me an odd look "Someone friendly in these parts??" he asked and I nodded 

"Lafayette and Hercules, plus apparently a kid that Laf brought over from France. They'd been on the run after a Lobster attack but they just took Herc's shop back. That's what the gunshots were" I explained and Phillip gasped happily "Uncle Hercules?!" He asked and I laughed before ruffling his hair "Yes Phillip, Uncle Hercules" I said and Phillip squealed happily

"I haven't seen either of them since College" Aaron said and I nodded "I've kept in touch, though Laf went back to France so I haven't seen him since before the eruption" I responded "Also I may or may not have agreed to let them come with us since Herc told me how the West 30th street Heliport had some major vehicles that they found. We could take one and get outta here" I said and I could tell Aaron was trying not to look disappointed which only made me feel more confident about my choice 

"Come on, we can spend the rest of the day and night there before going over to West 30th" I said before letting go of Phillip who went to get his stuff which was by Theodosia "You'll love Uncle Hercules. I never meet Uncle Lafayette in person but from what Pops tells me he's super cool" he said and the little girl giggled "Sounds awesome!!" she said before picking up her stuff "Papa why haven't we meet these people??" she asked and Aaron brushed it off "Your mother and I were too busy with you baby-cakes, we just didn't have the time" He said and I was tempted to add that Aaron didn't really like the 2 of them (And they didn't like him too much so h a) but I decided against it

Theo seemed satisfied with her answer and after Aaron and I put on our packs I lead them all to Hercules's shop where Lafayette was waiting on the front step "Ah and there they are" he said happily as he meet him at the entrance "This is far more than I expected but we will make do" Lafayette said before giving me a look after looking at Aaron. "Come in, there is plenty of food you can have left over from les homards and space for you to rest" he added before ushering us all inside and sealing the door

The four of us all took off our masks before the two children immediately dropped their things and went to explore. "Good to see them energized when they're not walking-" Aaron mumbled and I was tempted to laugh but I wouldn't give Aaron the luxury of letting him know that he'd been somewhat funny. "You said you guys had a kid now right??" I asked and Lafayette nodded "Oui, Georges is helping Hercules clean up, he is a bit shy but I am sure once he finds the other children he will open up" he said before going into the kitchen

"Enfer Ouais!! There is still beer in here!!" Lafayette called and I was almost instantaneously there to check it out. Hey I hadn't had a good beer in years, you would've done the same. "How much??" I asked while Laf ruffled about the fridge "Mon dieu there is even some meat in here and fresh vegetables?! Where did ces connards get this?!" My jaw dropped before crushing the rich asshole who was greedy and petty enough to buy fresh foods from overseas and not share it with the rest of the population who were probably suffering from malnutrition

"LAF WHERE THE FUCK DID THESE KIDS COME FROM!?" We heard Hercules yell from presumably the room I had last seen him in and I sighed "Probably Phillip and Theodosia" I said and Lafayette raised an eyebrow "Is the girl Burr's??" he asked and I nodded "Yep, haven't seen the mother, pretty sure she died before all of this though" I said and Lafayette nodded in understanding "I will sort this all out, you go help Hercules" he instructed while gesturing to the fridge and I nodded before going to make sure the kids weren't tormenting poor Herc

Aaron had beat me to it though, and was currently sternly talking to his daughter for not taking it easy with her hurt arm, especially after having carried stuff for much of the day. Phillip meanwhile was already trying to talk to a young boy around his age with tan skin similar to Lafayette's and long brownish hair done up in cornrows. How he'd gotten them in the apocalypse I had no idea but I wasn't one to judge in these times (unless I was judging the Red Coat gang in which case I was TOTALLY ok with judging them)

"You don't talk much do you??" Phillip said after a while of Georges not answering. "He's still working on English" Hercules said as he took the things that Georges was holding "Georges, say hi" Herc said and Georges remained silent for a moment before speaking softly with a thick French accent "Hello.." he said and Hercules smiled "Good job kid" he said and ruffled Georges's hair before going back to cleaning

"Oh- I'm sorry I didn't know you didn't know English very well, but my Pops taught me some!!" Phillip said and I beamed proudly. A moment later Theodosia returned with a smile on her face "Papa said I can play I just have to be careful" she said and giggled "Theo do you know French??" my soon asked and Theodosia nodded "Oui!! Just a little bit though" she admitted

Georges perked up after hearing Theo speaking French so he decided to go for it "I am..... w-war king..??" Georges asked, a bit unsure of what he had said "Working??" Phillip asked and Georges nodded "Oui, working... I am.. working on... Anglaise.. non.. Anglish??" Georges said "English??" Theo asked and Georges nodded again, happy that he was being understood while the two other child giggled happily at the guessing game "I am... working... on.. An-English" Georges said and Phillip and Theo clapped to congratulate him

"That was great buddy!!" Hercules called and Georges beamed proudly "Merci beaucoup" he said and Hercules chuckled "No problem" he said before going back to cleaning as Phillip came over to me "Pops I'm hungry.." He said and held his stomach while I chuckled softly "Lafayette was sorting out some food, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you had any" I said and Theo went over to her father "Can I have some food too??" she asked and Aaron shrugged "That all depends on what Lafayette says" he said and Theo went and took Georges's hand to take him with them

"Theodosia" Aaron chided and Theo dropped Georges's hand "Oopsie- sorry" she said shyly before turning to Georges "How do I say it... je suis désolé.." Theo said and Georges nodded "It is.. ok??" He asked and Theo cocked her head to the side "It's ok??" She asked and Georges nodded "Oui" he said and Theo smiled "Yay!!" She said happily before coming over to me and Phillip with Georges not too far behind. Once they were all caught up Phillip lead them all to the kitchen to torment Lafayette about food

"They're all pretty cute together, I'm glad Georges is making friends" Hercules said and smiled as he threw something into a drawer. "Agreed, sorry for Theodosia's... extrovertedness.. she's just happy to be seeing people her age" Aaron said and Hercules waved it away "Eh it's fine, we're all kinda like that I guess" he said and I nodded "As long as the kids are happy, I'm happy. Besides it's way better than them whining" I said and Hercules laughed

"Fair point Lex, by the way where's Laurens been this whole time??" Hercules asked and I replied curtly "South Carolina, he's on the move to Virginia just the same as us. We're gonna meet up there". My answer seemed to satisfy Hercules who went back to cleaning "Guess we're all gonna be stuck with each other from now on" he called and Aaron and I gave each other a look

Hooray _..._


	9. Nighttime Confessions and a new Challenger who almost kills us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex finally gets Aaron to open up, and the crew runs into a familiar face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: the following chapter contains sadness and some rather dark themes, so be warned

The night crawled into existence and with it everyone feel quickly to sleep. Well, except for the adults of the group. While the children all shared the guest room Aaron and I slept in the living room, leaving Lafayette and Hercules to gallivant in their own room. I wonder how Georges managed to get any sleep while living with them-

I thought Aaron had somehow fell asleep before I saw him get up and don his mask before going towards the front door. I heard it hiss open and even though I wanted to try my luck at trying to sleep through whatever was going on in the master bedroom, my curiosity wore out and I just had to see what Aaron was doing

Aaron had always been a quiet man, often kept to himself and barely shared anything about his private life. The only reason any of us even knew that he had a wife and child was when he had to take off work to look after the little girl that was left when the mother... well... no one is very sure what happened

I grabbed my own mask and slipped it on before going out the door, making sure to close it tightly behind me. I found Aaron not too far from the entrance, looking out over the empty streets. The sky was chocked with clouds and ash and there was barely any light that made everything choke in the darkness, but I had a feeling this was what Aaron preferred to the eerie moonlight that used to blanket the streets that had no streetlights

"Chilly for once" I called, causing Aaron to jump and look back at me "Ah- Alexander" he said as I went to stand next to him "I feel like we're in a desert" I said ignoring the fact that I had scared Aaron "Suffocatingly hot during the day, oddly chill at night" I finished and Aaron sighed "I suppose you're right he said before leaning back against the building

"Couldn't sleep??" I asked and Aaron nodded "Hard to with those two causing a ruckus" he mumbled and I chuckled "Try sharing a dorm with those two, man if studying didn't keep me up they did" I said. I know what you're thinking _"Alex why are you suddenly being so nice to your mortal enemy?!"_ And the truth is, it's all just a calculated attempt to try and break through Aaron's shell. If we were really going to be stuck together, I had to know as much about him as I could, it could come in handy, you never know during these times

"Sounds horrible, makes me glad I had an apartment for College, though I wasn't there for too long so I didn't feel like getting a dorm" Aaron said as I leaned back against the building with him. Copying was often a sign of someone either liking you, or truly listening to what you were saying, which I knew Aaron knew as we were both lawyers. I had to get him to think I was actually trusting him so he'd open up

"Lucky bastard, I tried to speed through but they wouldn't let me, said it was way too stressful of a course to be taking in just a couple years" I said and Aaron chuckled "It wasn't so bad, besides, I had nothing better to do" he said before going silent again. I pursed my lips and tried to think of SOMETHING I could say to get more information out of him, but I couldn't think of anything

So I decided to play a risky move. "Betsy and I loved going out to the middle of nowhere and star gazing. She seemed so surprised that you could actually see the milky way in person" I said before turning to see Aaron's reaction. For a moment he didn't respond, but then finally he sighed and opened up "Theodosia and I had never left New York, but we'd always planned on it" He said and crossed his arms

Well that didn't help anything- Theodosia was his daughter, but I knew he had a wife based on the ring still present on his finger. What had happened to her... "We wanted to go with Theo, possibly go to London, but then she got sick again and we couldn't go" Aaron added and now I was just downright confused before I figured it out. Aaron's wife was named Theodosia, and they'd named their child after her

"Sick again??" I asked and Aaron nodded. "After having Theo she always seemed a little weaker than normal. And it didn't help after.." Aaron said and sighed "After her first miscarriage" WELL.... I certainly wasn't expecting THAT "Oh god... I'm really sorry Aaron.." I said and this time it was actually sincere. I'd never had to go through the pain of a miscarriage and I was very thankful for that, but by the sound of it Aaron had to go through it not only once, but possibly twice

"It's alright... we were just happy that Theo was doing well and was healthy. But about a year before this whole thing started, Theodosia took a turn for the worst.." Aaron said, his voice suddenly growing a bit hushed like he was on the verge of tears. A part of me regretted my curiosity, but at the same time I'd come this far. Besides if I was able to comfort Aaron than maybe he'd have a little more trust in me "She was sick right??" I asked and Aaron nodded before blinking his eyes furiously, likely to stop any tears from falling

"Stomach Cancer... it had already spread too much, and there was nothing we could do... she knew she wouldn't be able to handle the treatment, so we didn't take it... a part of me wishes I had convinced her to do it... cause then maybe she'd still be here today.."

**_(Like I said, this is some really heavy stuff, but it all actually happened to the real Aaron and Theodosia. But this is the end of the sadness so there's that. But again I warned you at the top of this so..)_ **

I was left in a stunned silence, and actually close to being brought to tears myself. I knew how hard it was to loose your partner, your soulmate, but to loose them in such a heartbreaking way, and with such a young child too after so much pain... It was enough to drive anyone mad. I had nothing I could possibly say, even though I'd dealt with very similar things in my life. I'd lost my mother to illness before moving to America, and I'd lost my wife in a plane crash... but that paled in comparison to Aaron's grief 

"Aaron... wow... I had no idea... I'm so sorry.." I said, trying to say something before Aaron waved it away and wiping his eyes which had started to spill a little bit. "It happened a few years ago... but thank you" he said before looking at me, and I nodded back as he held each other's gaze, not in an accusatory way like when we were coworkers, but rather as... friends?? (bleh)

We broke eye contact and stared out at the empty street for a moment before Aaron sighed again "I think I'm going to try and sleep... I hope those two have stopped" he said before going to the door "I'll be there in a sec, if I'm not just say I got attacked by Lobsters in the most bad-ass fight ever" I said and Aaron laughed "Will do... and Thanks" he said and I nodded back to him "Of course" I called before Aaron went inside. I allowed myself a moment alone to process everything that had happened before going inside after Aaron, thankfully to find that Lafayette and Hercules had managed to fall asleep as well

The next morning we packed up all of our supplies and began to make our way to where Lafayette, Hercules, and Georges had reported that they'd seen plenty of vehicle that appeared to be in perfect condition. Aaron and I were both exhausted and sore from sleeping on the floor as neither of us wanted to admit defeat and be the only one of the floor, even though there was a perfectly good couch. Phillip, Theo, and Georges all seemed rested and full of energy and Lafayette and Hercules seemed in good spirits as well

Hercules was able to carry a lot of equipment as long as we stuck to flat land but attaching it to his wheelchair, and having Lafayette's strength was definitely helpfully, plus Georges seemed good with carrying his own things without complaining unlike Aaron and I's two kids. We walked in relative silence (if we weren't counting the kids it would be complete silence) but I couldn't blame the kids entirely, as they were making an attempt to help Georges with his English

We walked non-stop until the afternoon and it grew too hot and the children wouldn't stop complaining. We rested in the safety of an alley way for a small snack of a can of beans and a water break before getting back on out way. We arrived at the hanger and Lafayette and I went ahead with our guns to make sure the area is clear. We peered in through a crack in the door before I slipped through and scanned the area before gesturing for Lafayette to follow behind me

We walked through the hanger and found that it was empty so we pried open the door and let everyone else come in, though we told them to keep quiet and stick close to each other. The hanger was dimly lit, and I didn't feel like wasting my flashlight so we stayed in the relative darkness. Aaron had a small pistol that Hercules lent him and he himself had a rather large gun like Lafayette. Considering I'd originally learned to shoot thanks to Hercules, I wasn't surprised to know that he had heavier power

Lafayette pointed to a large army like vehicle and him, Aaron, and I all went over to it to try and see if it was unlocked while Hercules stayed hidden with the kids. Everything seemed to be going well, before Lafayette froze and told Aaron and I to duck down. We did as told and Lafayette peered around the side of the vehicle, only for a flash of light to appeared and a loud gunshot to echo in the cavernous room

Laf cursed and jerked back before getting ready to shoot back as Hercules got his own gun ready, making sure the kids were hidden and silent. Aaron and I got out own weapons ready before another gunshot rang out and Hercules cursed loudly before a loud crash from where he'd been. I couldn't see them from where we were, but I feared that he'd been hit, or worse one of the children had

Lafayette was about to go back an attack before another shot whizzing past him, cutting a thin line on his cheek. Either this guy had horrible aim or he was just trying to scare us, there was no way anyone would be able to miss from that close (well, maybe Aaron, but that's besides the point) "Don't move, and I wont shoot" I deep, male voice said that froze me in my tracks. As soon as I heard the voice, I knew exactly who it was, and suddenly everything made sense to me

The precise gunfire that left no one injured, and the way he'd so effortlessly hid from an expert like Lafayette, and with such voice that could melt your bones and make you crave for more, it had to be... I put my hand on Lafayette's shoulder and pulled him back before I held up my arms and stepped out from the vehicle "We're not gonna hurt you, I can guarantee we want the same thing" I said, ignoring Lafayette's angry whispers

Luckily I'd been right of my assumption, and I wasn't shot, instead our mystery "attacker" lowered his gun, revealing the face of my old boss and the man that had taken me under his wing the moment we'd met at my interview "Alexander??" George Washington asked


	10. We Actually have a Decent Plan now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew, with the addition of George Washington plot their next moves

"What are you doing here??" George asked as he flipped the safety of his gun on and laid it on the floor. "The same as you I presume" I said as Lafayette and Aaron came out from hiding. "Monsieur Washington??" Lafayette asked in surprise and George nodded "It's good to see you Lafayette, and you too Mr. Burr" he said and Aaron nodded back in greeting. I turned to where I had last known the kids to be and Phillip poked his head out of hiding "Grandpa George?!" He asked and George laughed while Lafayette gave me a funny look

No I wasn't actually George's son, it was just a "hilarious" gag that went around the office, and since his family and mine were so close, Phillip just called George "Grandpa" because I had no other family. George and his wife both loved being called grandparents and didn't mind, but it just put me in deeper shit at the the Law Firm where I worked before all of this, but I stuck through it since it made everyone else so happy

"Yes ym boy, I'm sorry I scared you, is anyone else back there?? Did I hot anyone??" George asked and Phillip shook his head, causing everyone to let out a sigh of relief "There's me, and Theo, and Georges, oh and Mr. Mulligan but he fell over cause something hit his wheelchair" Phillip explained and Lafayette rushed over there to help Hercules back into his chair and hopefully also to check the supplies, but knowing Laf he probably just wanted to make sure his d appointment was ok

Theo poked her head out too once she realized it was safe before rushing over to her father "Papa that was so scary!!" she said and attached herself to Aaron who held his arms up since he still had his gun in his hands. He flicked the safety on and set it down as George had done before holding her close "It's alright Baby-cakes, no one got hurt" he said and George sighed "Apologies for that, I've been guarding this place for days, searching for gasoline at night. I'd just fought off a swarm of Redcoats the other day and I was still on edge" he said and I waved it away

"No harm done, like Burr said no one got hurt, but did you find some gasoline??" I asked and George nodded "Well sort of, I know where it is, but it's guarded by Redcoats" he said and I heard Lafayette curse from the children's old hiding place "ces putains de homards" he yelled and I sighed "We'll do what you've been doing. We'll sneak out at night and steal the gas, then bring it back and get the hell outta here" I said as Hercules and Lafayette came out from behind the hiding spot, with Georges not too far behind

"Are you sure that will work?? They'll be expecting us at night" George said and I sighed "it's the best thing we got. We gotta get outta here as soon as possible if we hope to meet up with Ja- John in Virginia" I said and George's eyes went wide "Virginia?? Where in Virginia??" he asked and I shrugged "Not exactly sure, but somewhere either on the coast or with access to the coast" I said and George was quick to respond "Mount Vernon, it's right by the Potomac River, and there's bound to be large boats that could take us anywhere" He said and I nodded

I could understand why George chose Mount Vernon, since that was his family's estate, and he was probably worried about his wife and son. "Alright, I'll try and contact John and tell him to head there. He's probably already on the move so he should be nearing North Carolina. If he's got a car he's probably already in Virginia" I said before going to my stuff and taking out the radio I'd brought "We're gonna call Uncle John?!" Phillip asked excitedly and I chuckled "Yep, just for a little bit though" I said as I set up the radio

After a little bit of waiting the static blazed to life and I heard John's voice come through "What's up Lex, you're lucky you caught us on a break" He said and I relayed the news to John "We found George, and he says our best bet is to head to Mount Vernon. It's our best bet and we know we've got friendly parties there. We've got a car big enough for everyone and our stuff and we know were gas is, we're just waiting to stroke" I said and waited for Jack to respond 

"Alright sounds good. Frances and I are heading to an old car dealership to steal a car if there are any. We've already been on the move for the past 2 days and I think we're close to North Carolina if we haven't already made it there. And what do you mean 'big enough for all of us??' Isn't it just you and Pip??" John asked and I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly

"Well... we've picked up some extra members... we total 8 now, Me and Phillip, plus George, then we brought Burr and his daughter along with us, and then we ran into Herc and Lafayette, and they've got a kid with them" I said and John was silent for awhile, probably cursing off to the side. "Alright, Alright fine. I guess there's no harm in having extra people" John said and sighed "Just get here as soon as possible, I'll meet you in Virginia" John said and with that the radio went back to static, telling me Jack had turned his off

I sighed and packed up the radio before addressing everyone else who had gathered around, likely to hear what John had to say. "Well, you heard him, he and his daughter are already on the move" I said and rubbed my temples. "We should rest then. Scrounge up anything we can find and pack it all into the van. Get it all ready so that when we get the gas we can just load it up and get outta here. Once we make contact with the Redcoats they won't be happy with us, so we should get as much as a head start as we can before they contact their headquarters and send everyone one of them on the east coast on our trail" Washington said

Man I forgot how much I missed having an actual clue about what the fuck we're gonna do, and George was the perfect guy for that. "Who's gonna go get the gas??" I asked and looked around "Anyone who can hold a gun and shoot, run I suppose" he added and Hercules huffed "Aw man, I really wanted to blow up some Lobster ass" he said and Lafayette chuckled "I will go and do it for you mon amour" he said and Hercules laughed. "That settles it then" I said and George nodded "The rest of us will go get the gas while Hercules stays with the children" he said

If none of us managed to die, this was gonna be good


	11. Whelp this was a Dumb Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George leads Lafayette, Alex, and Aaron to plunder the Lobsters for gasoline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slight mention of death/wounds

The day was spent scavenging for whatever supplies we could find and waiting. A lot of waiting. The children busied themselves by playing various games and such but us adults just lounged about since none of us felt like playing tag. Lafayette meticulously cleaned his various guns along with Hercules's while he basically just started knitting something "I knit when I'm stressed don't judge" he said while glaring at Aaron who had stared for a bit too long and I snickered "Old lady" I said and Hercules turned his glare to me "I will stab you with my damn needle so shut your trap" he said and I laughed

George paced anxiously, every so often stopping to go look for supplies and checking everything we had, which drove Lafayette insane "Monsieur Washington, there is nothing else left within a half a mile. We have looked through everything and have triple checked all of our equipment" he snapped one time and George sighed "I'm sorry Marquis, I can't help it, I need to be doing something or else I'll go insane" he said and Lafayette rolled his eyes "You worrying is driving me insane. Sit down and take a break" he said and George sighed before sitting. Man, not even I could get George to relax when life was normal and we all had jobs

As soon as George sat down my son rushed over to him , still giggling from his game "Grandpa can you come play with us??" he asked excitedly and George raised an eyebrow "Uh- what are you playing??" he asked and Theo giggled before rushing up to join Phillip "Hide and seek!! Georges is really really good and we need help" she said before George looked at me for help. I laughed and shook my head before George sighed "Alright I guess I can join in" he said and the two children squealed happily before pulling him up

My son and Aaron's daughter dragged poor George away and into their game, leaving the rest of us dying from laughter. "I never would've guessed ol' Georgie would be good with kids" Hercules said and I chuckled "You'd be surprised, though he gets it from his wife mainly" I said and Hercules nodded in understanding before returning to his knitting. Aaron watched the 3 children and George carefully, probably just wanting to keep a close eye on his daughter which after learning about what had happened to his wife I understood

Soon the sun began to dip down near the horizon and the children grew tired of their games so Hercules helped them all into the back of the van and we helped Hercules back there, situating him facing the back door and with easy access to ammunition "If anything happens, you'll all be safe in here" George said as he got his gun ready. I had mine already ready so I climbed into the back and held my son close "You'll be ok... right Papa??" Phillip asked and I nodded before kissing his forehead "We'll be back before you know it" I said and kissed Phillip's nose, causing him to giggle happily

Theo hugged her dad goodbye and he said basically the same things as me (copy cat) and Georges hugged Lafayette before attaching himself to Hercules. George smiled a bit sadly at all of us, possibly because he missed his own family before going to the door to the hangar and waiting for the rest of us. Once we'd finished saying goodbye to our children we shut the back door and joined George before sneaking out in the direction of the Lobster camp

It was nightfall by the time we found the Lobsters, and the reality of our mission finally sunk in. George led us around the outskirts of their camp, close enough so that we could see but far enough away so that we still had decent cover and was covered by some bits of rubble and bushes. George directed out attention to one of the corners of the camp where there were several containers of what appeared to be gasoline and Lafayette cocked his gun "What is the plan??" he whispered while Aaron and I looked to George

"We thin them out, split up and cause different distractions around the camp but remain hidden. Get them to disperse so that one of us can sneak in and grab the gas" George said quietly and I pursed my lips. "A large vehicle like the one we've got will need a lot more gas to go the same distance as a normal car, and those things can only hold about 5 gallons. We'll need way more than that if we wanna make it all the way to Virginia" I said softly and George sighed "You're right, we should take 20 gallons just in case so we each should grab one. Which means whoever goes in first should try and take two. As soon as that happens and the distractions end they'll likely notice they've been stolen from and start shooting which'll make whoever goes in next's job a lot more difficult"

"How wonderful-" Aaron mumbled and Lafayette elbowed him in the side "Shut it, this is the best we have so you will do it" he hissed and Aaron sighed "Marquis is the fastest out of us, so he should go for the gas first" George said in a hushed voice and Lafayette beamed before checking on the lobsters again "The rest of us head to the other corners away from the gas to distract. If you have to shoot for gods sake do NOT aim for the gas" George explained and Aaron and I nodded before we all split up

I watched as George and Aaron both disappeared into the shadows and soon I lost sight of Lafayette who'd gone to lay in wait by the gas. I stayed where we had arrive on the opposite edge and I readied my gun. I had to think of a distraction large enough to arouse suspicion, but not big enough to cause gunfire. I settled on just rustling some branches and tossing some rocks, trying to sound like someone not so good at hiding before ducking away as I spotted some redcoats nearing my location

I heard them all talking to each other, clearly confused before another rustling, this time from where George had gone to, causing more to disperse and head towards him. Everything was going great, and I kept up my distraction to keep the Lobsters occupied. But OF COURSE Burr fucked everything up

Near where I'd seen him go to there was a loud gunshot that caused the rest of the Lobsters to spring to their feet. I cursed to myself before the Lobsters I'd been occupying turned and headed towards the gunshot. I bit my lip and tried to think of what t do as more gunfire rang out, this time also coming from George's direction. I sighed before moving to a spot where I could see and firing at the Lobsters, careful about George's warning with the gas

I peered across the clearing and saw Lafayette sneak out and make off with a couple containers, bringing me some relief before a bullet whizzed past my ear "Over here!! I see one!!" A lobster called before realizing he was pointing in my direction. Damnit I'd been found!! I abandoned my hiding spot and fired wildly onto the group before running off, trying to lead them away. My plan utterly backfired though as I ran smack into a large man clad in red who tore my gun from my hand and held me with his large hands

"I got him boys!!" He called before dragging me towards the Lobster camp, despite my best efforts to escape. I beta against my capture but it was no use, and soon I was in the center of the Lobster camp, with guns trained on my from every angle. I was forced onto my knees and soon a small man stepped out from the crowd. He looked way too puny to be an any sort of leader to the Lobsters, but sure enough he had some sort of pin on his "uniform" that distanced him from everyone else

"Don't shoot!! Let me speak with him but stay on the lookout for the other 2!!" He called and several men saluted him before going back on the hunt. 2 others, that meant Lafayette still hadn't been found and hopefully he was rendezvousing back at the tuck to gas up before coming back to help. Or he'd been shot and killed and wasn't a threat anymore- Nope. Staying positive this time

The man crouched in front of me before forcing me to look at him, I spat in his face and he gasped before standing up and wiping his face off "Ugh disgusting!!" he mumbled before I received a sharp kick to my side, causing me to double over and cry out in pain, mostly from the shock of it though. "Stop you brute!! I said don't shoot which means don't hurt him!!" The man called before forcing me to look at him again 

"Who are you, and how dare you defile the King like this?? Petty thieves at a time like this?? Disgraceful!!" the man called and I rolled my eyes "My identity doesn't matter as for what I'm doing that's also none of your business" I spat and the man pursed his lips before sighing. "Look, I am a man of god and I believe in the honest truth so let me explain to you who I am and perhaps you can tell me who you are Ok?? Wonderful. My name is Samuel. Samuel Seabury, and it's an honor to welcome you into the red coats camp on behalf of the King. And you are??" he asked and I sighed

"Alex H- Alex Schuyler" I said and bit my lip and Seabury raised an eyebrow "Why are you doing that?? Are you lying??" he asked but I only thought of a better lie "Forgive me... it just.. makes me think of my beloved wife.. she was killed by some rebels and.." I said and teared up, which wasn't hard for me to do "Oh please forgive me!! I only wanted to show my loyalty by attacking the intruders!! I meant no harm, I only wanted to avenge my wife!!" I cried and Seabury wiped away a tear

"Oh you poor man..." Seabury said and sniffled "Such honor.. of course we will welcome you will open arms!!" he declared and the Lobsters shifted a bit. I cast a glance towards the supplies corner and counted the gasoline containers, finding there were 4 missing from when we had first arrived, which meant George and Aaron had been successful. Now all I had to do was get out of here-

"Come, stand with me Alex Schuyler so that I may welcome you. Our King will be so pleased to hear that his message is being spread far and wide, with you as our most glorious example!!" Seabury cried and I cursed myself for getting stuck with a lame-o dweeb with a passion for theatrics like this. If only Aaron hadn't been a dumbass

The man holding me down let go and I stood up, keeping up the act and joining Seabury. "You there" he said and snapped at a Lobster "Hand this man your gun and let him go hunt for the intruders, let him prove himself to our King!!" he cried and the man he'd snapped at sighed before giving me the gun. I tried to hide my smirk as I cocked the gun and looked towards the gasoline "I think I heard them over there" I called before Seabury snapped, causing some men to spring into action and check by the supplies "There's some bullets here!!" A man called and Seabury beamed at me "Well done, you will prove to be an excellent addition to us"

I thanked Seabury and smirked once he turned his back to me. Man this guy was way too gullible and his goonies were way too stupid. I turned my attention back to the gasoline and raised my gun to it, firing one bullet at it and diving away as the bullet hit and exploded the rest of the gasoline and catching the rest of the supplies on fire. The Lobsters that had gone to investigate were blown away and left a charred mess while other were merely knocked over, though some where burns by the blast. I was one of the not so lucky ones, plus holding a metal explosive weapon in my hand didn't help

I cursed before getting up and sprinting away, glad I was still able to run as gunshots rang out behind me, with some of the bullets whizzing past me. As I ran back towards the hanger I ran into George who looked both relieved, and furious. "What the hell did you think you were doing Hamilton?!" He yelled before grabbing my arm and rushing off with me "I caused a distraction didn't I??" I asked, ignoring the searing burns that screamed at me _"Slow the fuck down you idiot we hurt!!"_ "Yes but you could've been killed!! You're lucky Seabury was in charge and not someone worse!!" George yelled as the hangar came in view

I heard the faint hum of an engine and sighed with relief as I realized the van had been turned on, and when George and I slipped inside we found the back open with Aaron, Hercules, and the kids waiting anxiously for us. I faintly saw Lafayette's curly bun in the front seat before George scooped me up and tossed me into the back before slamming the doors and hoping into the drivers seat. I cursed loudly, not caring that there were any children around as the car sped towards the doors and slid through, just barely missing the doors

George sped us away from the rushing Lobsters as Hercules did his best to look over my burns in the dark and crowded back of the van. "Hang on boys it's going to be a rough ride!!" George called before I blacked out as the adrenaline rush from before left me, leaving me with just my searing sides and exhausted muscles


	12. The Laurens Interlude Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another check in with John and his daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this story was originally on my wattpad but- whelp it stopped working on my computer so until I can get it to work here's just a small chapt after the last one was so long (also again small warning for sadness concerning Martha Manning)

_Dear Diary,_

_Sometimes I wish I could just fly to New York and strangle Alex. I can't believe he got roped into bringing more people!! That's the last thing we need!! Frances and I have been walking for an eternity it feels like, but We're in Virginia now I know for a fact. I have a feeling we're getting close to Mount Vernon, I just hope it'll be a suitable place. According to Alex, Washington's n New York and was there for the eruption, leaving just his wife and son. I doubt Martha would've been able to rectify their whole estate to suit their new needs, but who knows. Frances has steadily getting better, but her illness has made her much weaker so we're forced to stop more frequently, plus I have to carry basically everything by myself_

_We've been fortunate to find some Lobster free zones, but when we come to an infested area, I'm forced to hide my true feelings about that dreadful group and mascaraed as just a poor father with his sick daughter looking for shelter. It works pretty well, plus Frances is a great actor even though she's actually sick. She can really ham it up, forced herself to cry once when some Lobsters were about to kill us. As proud as it makes me, I wish we didn't live in a world like this. My daughter should be going to school with her friends, studying to become an actress like she's dreamed about_

_Instead we live in this hellhole-_

"Papa my throat hurts.." Frances said as she turned over. I sighed softly and set my journal down before going to get our canteen. "I'm sorry Pumpkin.. I know it feels bad but soon we'll be somewhere where you can rest. After that, we'll be moving to a place with no ash" I said as I carefully helped Frances drink her water and manage her gas mask. We'd been forced to sleep in the woods as there was no civilization around us for miles, and we'd pitched a tent to spend the night in. It wasn't much, but it would protect us from the elements

Once Frances had enough water she sighed shakily before laying down, nuzzled up close to me "Papa can you tell me a story about Mama..??" she asked and I bit my lip before nodding and sighing softly "Alright.. what do you want to hear??"

_"Swim to Mommy Pumpkin" I said as I held Frances above the river water as she kicked her legs and pumped her arms "Like this Daddy??" she asked and I chuckled as I slowly walked with Frances to my wife who wasn't too far away and waiting with open arms "You're doing so good baby" she said softly and Frances squealed happily, nearly loosing balance had I not had her "Focus on swimming Pumpkin" I said and Frances giggled before focusing intently on kicking her legs "Kick kick kick baby" My wife called and Frances giggled before I slowly let go and let my little girl swim the last foot to her mother's arms. Once there my wife scooped her up and covered her faces in kisses "My little baby is such a good swimmer!!" She said happily and Frances clapped to herself before turning back to me "Daddy Daddy did you see that?! I swim!!" she said and I laughed before hugging her and my wife close, kissing her plump cheek softly as he mother kissed the other "You did so good Pumpkin" I said and Frances squealed happily as she nuzzled into me and her mother_

I sighed softly and looked down at Frances who was smiling softly, though she was a bit teary eyed "I miss Mama.." she said and sniffled softly. I laid down with her and held her close to my chest as I rubbed her back "I know Pumpkin... I miss her too..." I said and sighed softly as I tried to calm Frances down before more painful memories bubbled up to the surface and forced me back down in their dark depths

_"What do you mean?? Speak English!!" I yelled at the doctor against my better judgment "Mister Laurens, we've tried everything we could but the infection is just too severe" the doctor said and I collapsed in my chair in his office. What was I going to do with Martha- and what about little Frances?? God.. what was I gonna do.. "Your wife wishes to see you.. I suggest you use this opportunity to say goodbye.. I'm sorry Mister Laurens.." the doctor said and I tried to choke back my sobs. I nodded slightly, my anger from earlier dissolving into the deepest depression I'd felt as I filed into my wife's room. She was laying in bed, with Frances, our daughter, asleep next to her. She was so little.. she was too young to loose her mother... Martha turned to face me and mustered up a slight smile as I sat down on the edge of her bed_

_"I don't have much time do I..??" My wife asked, her voice barely above a whisper and the tears sprang from my eyes "Martha no- no you've got more time, just please keep fighting" I begged as I took her hand. My wife sighed shakily as she weakly squeezed my hand "John... I'm too weak to fight... she said as she turned her face towards Frances and gently stroked her back "She's such a beautiful girl... she'll be such a beautiful lady" she said and chuckled lightly before gasping for air. I squeezed her hand tightly and tried to wipe my eyes "P-please don't leave me... sh-she needs you.." I begged as Martha turned back to me "I'm so sorry John.. I wish I could... I love you so much though.." she whispered as the monitor by her bed slowly decreased in speed until it flat-lined and my wife's hand went limp in mine "No.. no Martha-"_

"Papa..?? You're crying.." Frances said as she pulled me from my mind. I sat up and touched my cheek to find it was wet. I wiped it off and tired to steady my breathing as I laid down and pulled Frances close "Just thinking about your mother.." I said softly as Frances nuzzled into me "I miss her her so much.. I muttered and Frances sniffled softly "I know Papa... I wish I knew her more.." she said and I sighed shakily "We should sleep.." I said as I reached over to turn off the lantern. Frances nodded slightly as I sensed her close her eyes and settled into a deeper sleep. I sighed softly and looked at my discarded Journal, deciding to leave the entry unfinished for the night


	13. Old Frenemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew manage to make it into Virginia before their van breaks down and are forced to trek on foot again.

We should've never let Lafayette drive. For starters he had trouble working the van to begin with and would often jerk to a stop, throwing everyone around in the back and secondly, there was a tiny little issue that we forgot about when we let Lafayette take the wheel. He had trouble reading English quickly which was what you need to do when y'know, driving and looking for signs and street names. Hercules had done his best to dress the burns I'd received from blowing up the gasoline in the Lobster camp, but it still hurt to move much, though luckily the burns were really only on parts of my chest and a little bit on my cheek, so my hands were still good to go which was all that really mattered to me. When the car ran out of gas, the sun still hadn't come up which meant it must've been somewhere around 5 in the morning and most of us had fallen asleep. When the car sputtered to a stop we checked through everything we had only to find we'd already used up all of our gas. Turns out one of the containers someone had grabbed wasn't completely full, so we were running on less gas than we'd calculated and now we were stranded with no clue where we were

"We have to be somewhere in Virginia, we've been driving all night" George reasoned as we unpacked the van and got everyone geared up "Yeah but where, it would've been nice to have our driver know how to read English" I grumbled and Lafayette glared at me "I am the only other person that can drive!! Hercules was busy patching you up and Aaron never learned to drive" he said and Aaron huffed "You don't need to drive when you live in New York, and I never expected to be thrust into a situation like this" he snapped and Lafayette turned to glare at him "Gentlemen it's all of our faults. Someone should've been up with Marquis to help him read the signs" George said and sighed before rubbing his face

"There's gotta be something that tells us where we are" Hercules said and looked around "I'd rather not have to trek in the woods with this fucking thing for too long" he grumbled before kicking his wheelchair with his leg. "Spread out and look for a sign" George instructed after a moment of thinking "Anything that could be useful, and Marquis you stay by the van" he added and Lafayette sighed softly before getting in the back with his gun. "Pops what exactly are we looking for??" Phillip asked as he took my hand and I led him in a direction to look for road markers "Any sort of sign" I said "A road sign or street name" I added and Phillip nodded "We're going on a scavenger hunt" he said and giggled and I couldn't help but chuckle "Yes Phillip exactly that" I said before turning my attention back on our surroundings "I've got a highway number!!" Aaron called "Same over here, but where the hell is this highway?!" Hercules called before Phillip tugged at my shirt "Papa look, I think that's a city name" he said and pointed to where a fallen tree had covered a large sign

"Over here!! Phillip spotted a sign!!" I called while my son and I went to see if we could read the sign with the tree in the way. A moment later George, Hercules, and Georges were there and Hercules was able to spot a small opening where someone could crawl through. "I'll do it since Georges and I are the only ones that can fit down there and he can't read English" Phillip offered and Georges nodded sheepishly "Oui.. he is.. right" he said and Phillip giggled softly before getting on his hands and knees and crawling under the tree "What does it say bud??" I called and a moment later we heard Phillip call back to us "I think it says Charlottesville!!" "Charlottesville..." George repeated before he turned away and cursed "We went too far" he said and we all groaned. "Sow what now?? Do we have to walk back to Mount Vernon??" Aaron asked as he and Theo joined us and George nodded solemnly "I'm afraid so" he said and sighed 

"Then you better get walking and get the hell off of my property" a new voice called followed by the sound of a gun cocking. Hercules and George immediately had their guns trained on where the voice had come from while Aaron and I hid our kids and Georges behind us, but it was Aaron who recognized the voice first "Thomas?? Is that you??" He called and it took all of my willpower not to groan. "Jefferson??" George called as he lowered his gun but Hercules kept his up. "Took you long enough" Thomas called as he stepped out of the shadows "But I meant what I said, you need to leave now" he said, gun still raised. "Thomas please, we need some help here" George tried to reason as he held his hands up "We're two hours away from where we’re meant to be and we're all exhausted" he added

"That's not my problem, it's everyone for themselves out here. This place is crawling with Redcoats and you're not gonna ruin my reputation with them. Word spread fast of what a certain ‘Alex Schuyler’ did to a hot spot up north" Thomas said and I bit my lip "It was the only thing we could do, and I know deep down you're against the Redcoats just as much as we are" George said but Thomas still didn't let up "Politics don't matter anymore Washington. All that matters is that you align yourself with people with power" he said and I wanted nothing more than to punch that asshole in the face, but I refrained for the sake of the children involved

"Thomas please" Aaron said, taking a small step forward. "You, me and James all worked together on the same case once and you know me. We won't cause any harm to you or your reputation if you just let us rest in your estate for just the morning, then we'll be out of your hair and you'll never have to here from us again" he said and Thomas seemed to consider it for a moment "You have to understand where we're coming from. We all just want to be safe and look after our families. Surely you understand that" Aaron added and we all waited tensely for Thomas's reaction. His finger tightened on the trigger before eventually letting go and lowering the weapon. "Fine, but you're not taking any of my rations and you will NOT drag me or James into anything you plan on doing" Thomas said and huffed and the rest of us relaxed

"Monticello isn't far from here. And do NOT eat up my time by being slow. And I suggest next time you travel you take a vehicle that isn't a thousand decibels" Thomas said and rolled his eyes. Oh yes, the verge to punch that asshole was strong with this one. Very strong. "Georges, go get your father" Hercules said to the timid boy who thankfully understood and went back to the dead van to retrieve Lafayette and the two returned with the rest of our things. "Hurry up" Thomas called over his shoulder as he turned on his heels and began marching away, with the rest of us in tow

"Pops I thought you didn't like Mister Jefferson" Phillip whispered to me and I quickly shushed him "Desperate times call for desperate measures" I whispered and sighed softly before Phillip went silent and we continued on our solemn march. Thomas's path took us through a densely wooded area of the forest, so George and Lafayette often had to carry Hercules and his chair over large roots and such but soon the forest cleared and we arrived in a large clearing with a mansion sized building nestled in the middle "Quickly. My fields are tended to by the redcoats but none are up this early" Thomas called as we hurried as best we could across the grassy fields "Then why were you up??" I called and I could tell Thomas was smirking even with his back turned to me "The best time to go hunting for unwanted vermin" he called and seriously, I wanted nothing more than to punch this fucking assnugget

Thomas led us all in through a back door and quickly locked it behind us once we were all in "It's safe to remove your masks" he said and the rest of us sighed with relief as we peeled off our masks. The children's eyes grew wide as they saw the large and lavishly decorated interior and before Thomas could advise them against anything the 3 had run off to explore. Thomas huffed and crossed his arms “No manners" he muttered and George chuckled "Let them have some fun. This has been just as hard on them if not harder" he said but Thomas just pouted some more "Better not be tracking dirt in-" he muttered and I let myself have a well deserved eye roll

"Thomas who's here??" A new voice called and only then did Thomas relax. "Just some old colleagues looking for sanctuary" he called "Nothing to worry about James". Lafayette sought out the first couch he could crash on for some well deserved sleep while another familiar face turned the corner, still looking as sickly and drowsy as ever "Ah Mister Madison" George called and James perked up "Washington sir, what a pleasant surprise" he said and looked at Thomas who shrugged with a soft sigh "Please, come in and rest, you must be exhausted from having to come all this way from New York" James called as he turned and walked back into the main interior of the house "You sure we can trust these guys-" Hercules muttered to me and I nodded slightly "They're our best bet" I said and Hercules pursed his lips before our little posy followed James, with Thomas bringing up the rear

James helped situate everyone with some fresh food, which was a warm welcome after having just been eating canned goods as well as allowing us to sit wherever we pleased, no matter how pissed off Thomas looked. Hercules woke Lafayette up and made him eat something before both snuggled together on a couch and promptly passed out in each other's arms. At least they weren't fucking. "I assume you're here to go to Mount Vernon yes??" James asked as he sipped a hot cup of tea and George nodded "Have you heard anything from there??" he asked worriedly and James nodded, causing George to finally relax fully "Thomas and I visit whenever we can. It'll do good for you to hear that everyone there is doing well" James added and George let out a large sigh of relief "Thank god- I've been worried sick about Martha and our son for years-" he said and slumped back against his chair

James bit his lip lightly and avoided George's eye contact which screamed to me that James wasn't telling the whole truth. I looked at Thomas to see his reaction but his face was just as stoic as ever. I stood up and sighed softly before turning to James "I should try and find Phillip to give him some food. He was in the bathroom when you handed it out" I said and James set his cup aside and stood up "I'll help" he said and Thomas glared at James who shrugged it off. Thomas had said not to take any of their rations but James had ignored it, despite Thomas's whining which made me remember why James and I had become close to begin with. We could both be extremely petty

James and I went back into the kitchen and while he got down some food I leaned on the counter and decided to ask my question "What's really going on in Mount Vernon. We were both lawyers James and I saw you bite your lip. You're hiding something" I said and James turned to me with a light smirk. "Mrs. Washington and her son aren't the only inhabitants living in Mount Vernon. Last I heard 2 wayward souls had arrived seeking a place to stay and with news of the Master of the house returning with some other familiar faces'' he said and my heart soared "Jack-" I mumbled and James nodded "And the little one too whose name escapes me. They're both fine, exhausted, but fine" he said and it was my turn to sigh heavily with relief and thank whatever god was up there

"Oh and- I promised Martha I wouldn't tell anyone, but when this whole thing began, Martha found out that she was pregnant with her and George's second child. Thomas and I helped deliver and now the little girl is almost 5. She wanted to save that little bit for when George returned" James said and smiled softly which I couldn't help but copy "That's wonderful to hear" I said and James chuckled softly before putting the food back up "Was that why you dragged me in here??" he asked and I nodded "Yep, Phillip already ate, I just wanted to know what you weren't telling us" I said and James nodded "Understood, and remember don't tell anyone" he said and I held up my right hand "I swear" I said and James chuckled softly "Alright, we should head back, you need rest just as much as everyone else. It's 2 hours from here to Mount Vernon yes, but that's by car and there's a lot of Redcoats between here and there" James said and I sighed softly as we returned to the living room to find everyone else already asleep. Even the children had returned and were sleeping peacefully

"What took you all so long??" Thomas asked with annoyance littering his voice and James covered for me while I went and laid down with Phillip, drawing my son into my arms "Just catching up" James said even though I could tell Thomas was still skeptical "Let's leave them to rest Tommy, they're just trying to survive as are we" James said and I vaguely saw the two men reach for each others hands as sleep consumed me, knowing that we'd all be safe with James having softened Thomas's icy heart


	14. The March on Mount Vernon and Siege of the Country Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew manages to trek over to Mount Vernon after resting up at Monticello

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw, I'm trying to be as accurate as possible with this distances and such, but walking takes a reaaaally fucking long time, and it takes about 36 hours non stop to walk from monticello to mount vernon normally sooooo- I kinda cut it down a little bit and gave ze crew like super stamina so that they could walk for longer distances with shorter breaks. Yell at me all ya want, but this is mY universe (and who wants to read a whole chapt about people walking??)

I think all of us could agree that we'd gotten the most restful sleep that any of us had had in a very long time. After the surprise of joining up with Hercules, Lafayette, and their son, bursting the waterworks while talking to Aaron, the chaos of trying to steal gas from the Lobsters and trying to sleep in the back of the van, sleeping on plush couches in safe cover was a major upgrade and we slept for basically the whole day. Thomas and James promised not to rat us out to any of the Lobsters in the area and even gave us some extra supplies to take with us (and by give I mean James had to literally hold Thomas back and make him stay quiet while Aaron grabbed the extra water canteen). We quickly said our goodbyes and geared up before Thomas safely lead us back into the woods before the sun had risen and pointed us on the right direction to Mount Vernon

I had trouble trusting Thomas, as did Lafayette and Hercules, but Aaron and George assured us that Thomas was being truthful and soon we were back on our way. We let the children run ahead and explore the woods so that they could get their energy out and stay engaged instead of grumbling about having to carry stuff while walking in the hot weather. It worked rather well, and the children knew to stay as quiet as possible which was a major relief but at the same time, it hurt to see my son and even the other children having to adapt to this new and dangerous world when they should be free to run around and scream as loud as they wanted. Well, maybe not AS loud, I didn't want to get a headache

Lafayette helped push Hercules down the road which definitely hadn't been patched up since probably long before the eruption, and when we had to duck into the woods to avoid Lobsters, he and George helped Hercules navigate the rough terrain. Sure it slowed us down a bit, and quickly tired out the two men, but we needed Hercules for his gun-skills and craftsmanship. After walking for nearly the whole day we were all forced to stop as no one could push themselves to go any further. We stopped and took shelter in an abandoned park ranger station which miraculously hadn't been taken over by any Lobsters and provided a decent amount of protection from the ashy air, but not enough to where we could safely take off our masks for a prolonged period of time, but at least we didn't have to scarf down our food

The children dropped down their packs and curled up together in the corner furthest from the door and any windows and Hercules positioned himself with his chair and his gun nearby to protect them. George sighed softly to himself before putting back on his mask and getting up to go check and see if there was any sort of information that could tell us where the hell we were. "We've been walking all day, we've gotta be close" I called and George nodded "Hard to say exactly how long, but it's probably been about 16 or so hours. We only stopped a couple times and only for a few minutes at most" George said as he rifled through some of the papers. "We're about halfway there I'd guess, put us right at Culpeper" George said as he picked up some sort of document "Yep, we're right outside Culpeper" he added and showed us the document, which tld us that the name of the ranger station was the Lake Pelham station

"Right by the country club" George stated and Lafayette perked up "We should avoid it at all costs, there is a very high likelihood that it is a Lobster station" he said and Aaron and I nodded (dammit I hated when we agreed-) "We could take them by surprise" Hercules suggested but George shook his head "The Redcoats have seen Alex's face, and have possibly also seen me, Aaron, and Marquis, it wouldn't be safe" he said and Hercules pursed his lips "But they haven't seen me" he said but Lafayette was quick to shut down that idea "Non, it is too dangerous, especially for you mon amour" he said and George nodded "Marquis is right, if you got into danger you wouldn't be able to run away" he said and I agreed "Besides, if me blowing up a camp gets spread this quickly, then you two firing on the Lobsters and booting them out of your shop definitely would" I added and Hercules sighed "Right-" he muttered

"Pops what about us??" I heard my son call and I whirled around to see him sitting up and rubbing his eyes "Absolutely not, I won't allow it" I said and my son pouted "But what if we run out of things?? We're going to need water and the Lobsters probably have it" he said and George sighed "Phillip is right, we're only about halfway to Mount Vernon and it took us a whole day just to get here. With the amount of stops we have to make and the size of our group, there's a dangerous chance that we'll run out of water or worse, spill what we have left" he said but I just shook my head "No, I am not putting my son in danger!!" I protested as the rest of the children woke up "Papa what's going on??" Theo asked but Aaron told her to stay out of it

"Georges knows how to shoot a gun" Phillip said "But you're still children!!" I counted and my son just shrugged "We haven't done anything except take up resources and slow us down" he said "Besides, we can go in with fake names, no one knows about what we look like" Phillip said and I rubbed my temples "Alexander he has a point" George said and I snapped at him "What if it were your son?! Would you want him marching to his death?!" I yelled and George bit his lip and looked away. "I hate to agree with someone who isn't Alex, but George's got a point. We're gonna need water not just to drink but also in case someone gets hurt. It's an essential that we're quickly running out of" Hercules said "But we can't just send the children in to get it for us, there has to be another way" Aaron said and goddamnit I had to agree with him "We will.. be.. ok" Georges said "I can.. fire.. un pistolet" he added and my son nodded "Shooting a gun won't solve anything, you'll be way too outmatched!!" I yelled and Georges shrank into himself

"What are the chances that they will fire on innocent children'' Lafayette said which got Aaron and I to quiet down. I could tell we were both thinking the same thing, that we'd already lost so much and we couldn't bear to lose the last bit of our family, but everyone else had a pretty damn good argument. "Pops, we'll be ok, Uncle Laf is right'' he said and I sighed shakily as Aaron looked down at the floor to think through things "Besides, it is not like we will just wait here and hope for the best" Lafayette said and Hercules nodded "We can hide out and keep a close eye on the kids while they go in, and who knows, maybe the Lobsters aren't even there" he said and Aaron looked up and surprisingly looked at me. He'd made up his mind, and was waiting for my answer

I sighed and eventually gave in, but made everyone swear that at the first sign of conflict, that we'd swoop in and the children would run away for cover. We spent the next couple hours making out plan before passing out for the night and awaking at the first sign of sunrise. I still hated this idea with every ounce of my being but everyone had a good point and I had to agree that we would need more water before we did anything. We crept through the woods until the country club came into view before crouching down behind the brush and peering into the large rustic building. "There's definitely people inside" George whispered and we all nodded slightly in agreement "So we just walk up right??" Phillip asked and I sighed before explaining his job to him for the third time that morning

"No son, you three are going to take off your masks and we'll give you some bandannas. They should keep you safe long enough for you to get us some water" I explained and Phillip cocked his head "What do the bandannas do??" He asked and I tried not to huff angrily "If you don't have masks, then the Redcoats will be more sympathetic" George thankfully explained "Plus, when you act hurt and sick, it'll really sell it" Hercules add and Phillip finally understood "Ohh ok, I got it now" he said and giggled softly. God if anything happened to my son-

The children all took off their masks and Hercules hooked them up with the bandannas and helped them tie them on "Remember, you're orphans whose parents were shot by rebels" Hercules explained and Lafayette quickly translated for Georges who nodded in understanding. "Phillip you have a bad cough and Theo you've been feeling woozy" Hercules added and my son and Aaron's daughter nodded and giggled softly to themselves "Georges, tu es tombé sur une colline et tu t'es fait mal à la cheville" Lafayette explained and Georges nodded in understanding "Please be careful babycakes" Aaron said as he hugged his daughter and Phillip ran into my arms "The same goes for you son, please please be careful" I said and Phillip nodded "We will pops" he said and giggled softly as Georges hugged his dads quickly 

After we said our goodbyes Georges pushed the bushes out of the way and the three children marched out into the green. I held my breath in anticipation and Aaron bit his lip while Lafayette leaned into Hercules. I was waiting for a gunshot to go off but as I looked through the branches I saw our children being approached by a man in a similar uniform to what I'd seen Seabury in. This must've been another higher up. "Halt!! What are you kids doing here??" The man called and the children paused before Phillip stepped forward and I readied my gun "Please sir.." Phillip said before coughing into his elbow (because I teach my son etiquette)

"We're just a group of orphans.." he said weakly and the other two kids nodded "Orphans huh?? What happened to your parents??" the man asked and narrowed his eyes "They were killed by some mean men" Theo said "it was horrible!!" she cried and sniffled softly as she wiped her eyes. Props to her for being such a good actor, but my son was still better. "Uh huh, and what about your pal here??" The man asked as he turned his attention to Georges "He doesn't know English" Phillip explained, making his voice extra raspy "He came with his parents who were relief workers from France" Theo added while Georges just nodded along. "Sure kids, now get outta here, you don't belong here" the man said and the children whined

"Please mister..." Theo begged "My friend here is really sick, he's had a bad cough from the ash, our masks were stolen from us from those meanies" she said and swayed a little bit on her feet as Phillip and Georges held her up "And Georges has a bad ankle, we can't move very fast" Phillip explained as Georges showed off his "limp" The man sighed and rubbed his face before giving into our kids charades "Fine, you want some water or something??" he asked and the kids brightened up "Yes ple-" Phillip started to say before turning away and coughing "Yes please sir" he finished an the man sighed before making the kids wait as he went inside, returning a moment large with a jug of water "Here, now I don't want to see your faces anymore" the man said and the kids smiled before thanking him and slowly making their way back to the bushes

As soon as they were back safely all of us immediately relaxed and drew our children into our arms as George held onto the jug of water. "Oh thank god-" I whispered as I held Phillip close before putting his mask back on him "Did we do good pops??" Pip asked and giggled softly as I nodded "You did wonderfully Phillip" I said and though I couldn't see his mouth, I could tell he was smiling brightly. "That was fun" Theo said and giggled softly as Aaron sighed shakily "Yes but you're never doing that again" he said and Theo pouted "Aw come on Papa, we did good" she said but Aaron's mind was already set, as was mine

"You all did great" George said "But we should get back on the road" he added as he stood up slightly "Come on, let's head back to the ranger station where we were last night, from there we can find the road again" The rest of us followed his lead and soon we were sneaking back into the woods and away from the country club to go back to the Pelham ranger station which would send us back on our march to Mount Vernon where we'd finally be one step away from leaving the country


	15. Arrival at Mount Vernon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew completes their trek to Mount Vernon and everyone is finally reunited

I only need four letters to describe the final stretch of our voyage to Mount Vernon. H. E. L. L. It felt like we were never going to arrive and just die somewhere in the middle of nowhere Virginia but soon enough George began to recognize the terrain which spurred one last bit of energy in all of us. Poor Lafayette was exhausted from having to help Hercules over or around every obstacle we came across but he refused to leave him behind which I had to agree with. The children could go less and less after each break and we were terrified of running out of water even after "stealing" some from the Lobsters but by some miracle it lasted until we had Mount Vernon in our sites. It was still a ways away and almost pitch black outside so we were forced to stop and camp one final night which honestly might have been for the best. No one wanted heartfelt reunions to occur when we could barely stand

The children were the first to pass out, followed quickly behind by both George and Lafayette, leaving just me, Aaron, and Hercules awake. I looked over at the 3 kids to find Phillip sleeping with his teddy bear in his arms right night to Theo with Georges laying horizontally by their heads. It was quite the adorable sight despite the fact that I believe Theo and Phillip were awfully close to each other and by the look on Aaron's face, he felt the same way. "Relax you two, they're just kids'' Hercules said as he glanced up from his knitting (I swear that guy could've made a whole sweater already with the amount of "Stress Knitting" he's done recently-) "This is the first time they've been around people their age, it's not like they're gonna fall in love or anything, they're what, 9 right??" Hercules finished and I huffed "Oh hush Grandma and go back to your knitting I said and Hercules glared at me "My threat still stands Hamilton, I will stab you with my needles''

"Will you two be quiet??" Aaron hissed as he noticed George stirring in his sleep and Hercules and I became content with glaring at each other. "We're all on edge yes, but that doesn't mean we should be at each other's throats" Aaron finished and I rolled my eyes "Since when did you get all philosophical??" I asked and Aaron sighed "That isn't the point, the point is not to kill each other when we're so close to getting out of here. We've come so far and been through so much already, we're still humans after all, not savages like other people" I hated admitting Aaron had a point, and you should probably know that by now, but still, I hated that Aaron was right, we couldn't turn on each other now

"Alright you got me there" Hercules said and huffed as he set aside his knitting and crawled over to where Lafayette was sleeping and laid down next to him. Of course I was happy for the two of them but a part of me was always jealous seeing them so happy together. I didn't have Betsy to be with me anymore, in fact I had no one except for my son but I didn't want to disturb him while he was asleep. "You should get some sleep Hamilton" Aaron said, pulling me from my thoughts "Lord knows you never get enough of it and I'm not tired, I can keep the watch" I pursed my lips and tried to talk Aaron out of it but it appeared his mind was too made up which I could understand. He just wanted a moment alone which I had to respect "Alright fine, just don't get us killed" I grumbled before laying down near my son and promptly passing out and falling into a dreamless sleep

George awoke us at the crack of done like always so we could pack everything up get a move on before the Virginia sun bore strongly overhead and cooked everything alive. It was obvious that there was a sense of anxiety running through the group but also relief. Come to thing of it, I think the anxiety was just coming from George and I, for separate yet similar reasons. This would be my first time seeing John since Eliza and I married and George well, this was his family. When we arrived no one was outside, but we could see lights on and someone, or rather multiple someone's passing by the window. There were definitely people inside

I cast a glance over at George who was rather silent and still while everyone else was making a move to head inside. "Everything alright George??" I asked and George shook his head a bit as if to bring him back to the reality of what was about to happen "It's been so long... what if Jack's forgot about me??" He asked and I patted his back in a comforting way "He wouldn't have forgotten you, in fact I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to see his father after all this time" I said and George cracked a smile before taking a deep breath "If you insist" he said before we followed everyone inside Mount Vernon

The first thing we heard inside was the laughter of children, followed by a tired adult male and my heart fluttered for a moment. It was John. "Frances you should be in bed resting!!" John called as 2 kids came speeding into view, both appearing to be the same age, one male one female. "But I'm not sick anymore Papa" The girl, Frances groaned before running into the boy who I assumed was George's son Jack who'd stopped abruptly in the hallway once he saw our little party. "Frances, how many times have I told you, it doesn't matter if you're-" John began to say before he too turned a corner and came eye to eye with our posse. "Alex??" John was the first to speak and I nodded "Yep, guess we made it in time" I said as John sighed heavily with relief before being swept up into Lafayette's arms as he rapidly spoke French "Oh mon dieu nous vous avons trouvé, je pensais que nous serions perdus et morts dans les bois" John awkwardly hugged back before patting the Frenchman's back "Good to see you too Gil-"

Frances dragged Jack over to the other kids who quickly introduced themselves as Lafayette took John over to see Hercules and Aaron. George stayed frozen with his eyes on his son who eventually broke away from the other kids and made his way over to his father. "Papa..??" Jack asked tentatively as I saw George tried (and failing to hold back tears) "It's me son.. I'm home" George said, his voice cracking slightly as his son ran into his arms. The two men held onto each other tightly as Jack stammered, probably an after effect of being so overcome with emotions "Mr. Laurens said- and Mama- oh gosh... I-I missed you so much" George just rubbed his sons back before sniffling softly "I know son I know.. I've been trying to come home for so long now.. I missed you and your mother so much"

I'll admit, it was quite the touching sight and I couldn't help but tear up a small bit myself before my attention was drawn to uh... other matters.."So.. you weren't lying when you said you'd picked up a few extra friends" John said as he crossed his arms while I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck "They're our friends Jack, I couldn't just say 'we're getting the hell outta here' and then not bring them along" I said and John sighed "I guess I can understand that, but now we've got WAY more people than we agreed upon and I don't know if it'll even work" He said and I tried hard not to look anxious while we were still in the prescience of everyone

"But we're already so close, and besides once we get to Nevis it'll be nice to have some extra hands to help out. Sure we got more mouths to feed but we've also got more hands to carry" I reasoned and by the way John's jaw clenched I knew he knew I was right. "Fine. I'm not happy with it. But fine." John said curtly before going back over to his daughter "Now YOU need to listen to me unlike someone else and go back to bed" John said as he picked up Frances who groaned "But we just met new peopleeee. How can I sleep nowww??" She whined but John didn't listen and carted her off to wherever they'd been staying

"Well that was something" Hercules said and I sighed "Guess Jack hasn't changed much.." I mumbled before the reunited father and son finally broke away "Mama's outside, she'd want to see you so badly!!" Jack said as George smiled wider than I'd ever seen him "I'd love to see her" he said and I quickly volunteered to go fetch her. James's words stuck with me about there being a second child, and I didn't want Jack to accidentally spill the beans by mentioning going to get his little sister too, so I left everyone to their own devices where I searched for the front door which would lead me to Martha Washington

I found her sitting outside on the wrap around porch in a rocking chair with a small child curled up on her lap who I assumed was the new Washington child. The Mistress of the house was rather small in height, but she made up for that in her um… well I don’t want to be talking about her like that while she’s a married woman. The last time I’d seen her, she had long cascading curls down her back which she must’ve chopped off to better adapt to the blistering heat and constant working. Freckles peppered her tan skin on her cheeks and though I couldn’t see her eyes as she was looking away, I had a feeling they were still that captivating shade of hazel. I couldn’t see many of the features of the little girl, but she appeared to have hair similar to that of father’s and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had his eyes as Jack had those of his mothers as well as her freckles

I made my presence known and Martha jumped a bit before turning towards me, eyes wide in shock “Alexander??” She asked and I nodded “Yes ma’am, it’s wonderful to see you again” I said as Martha woke up the little girl in her lap “Patsy, we have a guest” she said softly as the little girl, Patsy, whined and rubbed her eyes “But we already have guests” she said sleepily and Martha chuckled softly before kissing her daughter’s forehead “I know baby, but now we have more friends” she said before getting up with the small girl in her arms who was still half asleep. “I take it Laurens has helped you get situated correct?? I’m sorry I wasn’t inside to greet you” Martha said as I waved it away

“Everything is getting taken care of Mrs. Washington. But there’s someone who’s been dying to meet you” I said as Martha nearly gasped “George.. Is he??” She asked hopefully and I nodded with a wide smile “Inside with your son, he’s been waiting to see you since this whole thing started” I said as Martha set Patsy down who whined again and held onto her mother’s skirt “I know baby I’m sorry, but your father is finally home” she said as she took her daughter’s free hand while I lead them both inside

Hercules, George, and Jack were all still in the hallway where we’d met up and I assumed John had taken everyone else to a room where they could stay in. The Guest rooms must’ve been on a separate flight which was why Hercules was left with father and son who were no longer sobbing in each other’s arms “I come bearing a present” I said formally before stepping to the side to allow Husband and Wife to see each other

I went and stood by Hercules as George and Martha finally made eye contact and just stared at each other, probably wondering if this reunion was actually happening. The silence only lasted for a second though as Martha let out a relieved sob before rushing into George’s arms as he spun his wife around before sharing a passionate kiss, leaving Patsy alone in the hallway to fiddle with her dress. Jack went and joined his sister to give their parents a moment alone and Hercules and I looked away as well. Hey man, they needed a moment together. Probably wouldn’t want to be sleeping in the room next to them tonight

After the two calmed down Jack lead Patsy over to their parents and George looked down at the little girl in shock as Martha put her hand on George’s arm “I tried to tell you, but I found out right after the eruption and I had no way of communicating with you” Martha explained as Patsy tried to hide behind her older brother. George crouched down to better be at her level before smiling softly “Hello there.. What’s your name??” He asked softly as Patsy peaked out from behind Jack “Patsy… Mama says that Papa is stuck in New York and that he’s coming back..” She said sheepishly as I could see the heartbreak in George’s eyes. “I know Patsy… but I’m here now.. I’m so sorry that I haven’t been” he said as his chocolate colored eyes

“Papa??” Patsy asked softly and George nodded before flashing a slight smile “It’s me sweetheart.. I’m home” he said as Patsy leaned into her father who quickly enveloped his daughter in his arms. Martha smiled, though I could tell there was a bit of sadness in it as Jack weaseled his way into the hug. George sniffled softly before looking up at Martha who kissed her husband’s forehead before crouching on her knees and joining her family in their group hug. It was nice to see at least one family be reunited


	16. Evening Epiphany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew gets some much needed rest while Alex and John sort through some troubling feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a short filler chapt

Martha treated us all to a lovely and fresh dinner after giving everyone a chance to rest up. Thanks to her relations with Thomas and James, she had access to all the fresh foods that the Lobsters had to offer. George had refused to rest though, and insisted on spending time with his family which I had to understand, and the 3 other Washington's very much appreciated it. The children were all given a room to share which they enjoyed, plus Georges, Phillip, and Theo liked having 2 more playmates. Martha gave Lafayette and Hercules a guest room on the first floor so that Herc wouldn't have to transverse the stairs as much, and Aaron and I were both given our own rooms, something I truly missed having while being on the road. Sleeping in an actual bed and not on the floor or on a couch was a major plus too. After dinner most people went back to bed after thanking Martha for the amazing meal, but John and I stayed awake. John excused himself to go outside and I stayed in the living room until I was the only one left, so I decided to go check on John to see if he was alright. Besides, it was about time we talked a certain something through...

I found John out on the back porch, leaning on the railing and looking out over the forest at the edge of the property line. "So. We're finally here" I called as I went to stand behind John as he looked over his shoulder at me "It appears so" He said before going back to his brooding. He tended to brood a lot it seemed. "Frances looks better" I said, trying to make some sort of small talk but it appeared John wasn't gonna have any of it. "Why are you out here?? Shouldn't you be sleeping??" John asked as I shrugged "I'm not tired. You know me, I don't sleep even if I was tired" I said as John sighed "You're impossible-" he muttered as I rolled my eyes "What's gotten into you man?? We're finally almost out of this godforsaken wasteland and you're just out here brooding" I said as John stood up straight "It's none of your business Alex" he said as he brushed past me and left to go down the porch steps and into the backyard proper

"Stop just brushing this aside Jack, it's clear something is bothering you" I called as I followed John down to the backyard. "Even if something was bothering me it's still just none of your business" John snapped as I heaved a sigh. "What's up with you man?? We see each other for the first time in years and you're mopping and aloof" I asked and John was silent for a moment "Let's just say not everyone got the blessed life you had before all this shit went down" John finally said as I pursed my lips, though it was hidden by my mask. "Jack- Martha's been dead for almost 8 years now. And I lost my Betsy and Little Angie when the volcano blew. We've all been through hardships, and you still have Frances" I said as John spun on his heels to glare at me "For someone so smart you just don't fucking get it do you?!" John snapped which took me aback

"John- what the hell are you even talking about??" I asked as John stayed silent but avoided eye contact with me. "Jack. Jack what the hell is going on??" I asked as I crossed my arms while staring at John, waiting for his response. "Alex.." John began after a minute of silence "Alex I-" he tried again before sighing "I haven't moved on from college-" he finally said and my face fell. Of all the things- that was definitely not what I was expecting. "You what..??" I asked after a moment. "John- that was years ago. You've been hiding that from me for what... nearly 10 plus years??" I asked as John stayed looking at the ground"Jack- Jack we broke up over 10 years ago and moved on!! We both married and had kids, what do you mean you still haven't gotten over it?!" "I know it's wrong!!" Jack snapped "I just can't fucking help myself alright?!"

My head spun and my emotions went completely haywire. How the fuck had John not moved on, and why hadn't I noticed anything."John- you loved Martha, you were crushed when she died, did all of that mean nothing to you or something?!" I asked as John turned away from me "Of course it meant something to me" John snapped. "I just... I don't know... there was something about what we had.. something I wasn't ready to let go of.." I had no words, what the hell was I supposed to say to all of this?? How could I tell John that I didn't feel the same way?? "You don't have to say anything else... you've made your position clear enough.." John said, still facing away from me. "You can go now.." "Jack I-" i tried to say, but it was clear John was done talking "You can go now Alexander" he said and I sighed before retreating back into Mount Vernon

I understand why John wanted to tell me his true feelings, but at the same time I wish he hadn't. Don't get me wrong,I know how important it is to get things off of your chest, but still... I guess I just didn't understand where John was coming from, and I don't think I ever will. I sighed heavily as I began to climb the stairs, only to run into George who was coming downstairs. "Ah, Alexander, I didn't think you'd still be up" He said as I took my mask off of my face "Yeah, well I'm going to bed now, what're you doing up??" I asked as George's face turned a bit red "I um- I just needed to ask Marquis and Hercules for something" he said as I tried to hold back a laugh "Well good luck, hope they aren't fucking for your sake" I said and waved goodbye to George before climbing the rest of the stairs as he went downstairs. Poor guy, I hope he doesn't walk in on Laf getting his guts rearranged. But then again, what could George want from-

Oh

Dear god

Could tonight get any worse??


	17. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew finally makes a mad dash for the wharf to leave the apocalyptic wasteland that has become their home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another small transition chapt so i can get back into the swing of writing

I don't think I got much sleep the first night at Mount Vernon, but soon sleep came easier to me and after a week of rest and recuperation I, as well as everyone else was ready to get back on the move. The children had all grown rather close to each other, and George was able to successfully reconnect to his two kids and little Patsy was more than ecstatic to finally have a father in her life. John and I rarely spoke to each other after that first night, even though Frances and Phillip were frequent playmates with each other. Lafayette hadn't been able to keep in one place so he'd gone ahead and scouted the area for Lobster movements and the fastest and safest route to the wharf where he'd confirmed there to be large boats ready to be driven out to sea and beyond

It was early morning when we were ready to move all of us out of Mount Vernon and onto the boat Lafayette had picked out. According to him it was a large houseboat with 3 rooms one housing bunks which presumably would be for kids, a kitchen and pantry, 2 bathrooms, and a lounge area all inside of the actual boat, but it also came with a lounge deck on the second level. It would be a bit cramped, and certainly not as nice as Mount Vernon, but it's not like we'd be living on it, we only needed it take us to the Caribbean which shouldn't take 2 weeks if we maintained a constant speed, assuming we had enough fuel which we should've gathered during our week rest

And by gathered I definitely don't mean stole

Hey man, you'd do the same if you lived during a time like this

The day finally came, and while the children were a mess of excitement for this new adventure, us adults carried a more contained and nervous excitement with us. We were leaving the damn country, and George and his wife were leaving their home. George had told me that Mount Vernon had been in his family for generations, so to just get up and leave suddenly was going to be hard for him. I understood how he felt though, I’d felt it when I’d left my apartment in New York where I’d lived with Eliza and our children in peace before all hell broke loose

The plan went as such, with George, Lafayette, John and I out in front while Aaron and Hercules stayed a few paces back with Martha and the children. We wanted to make sure that if we ran into any Lobsters that the woman and children wouldn’t be in the line of fire, but we also needed them to be protected which was why Hercules stayed with them. We told Aaron that was why he was in the back, but really George, Lafayette, and I just needed him out of our way. After all, Burr was the one who fucked over our last important mission and nearly got us all killed

We loaded up everything we could carry, though it was still obvious we’d have to take another trip, possibly even a third. At first George refused to let Martha carry anything heavy, but after snapping at her husband with “If I could carry a child in my stomach for 9 months then I can carry a simple pack” he eventually gave him. It was quite the moment but for the sake of keeping ourselves from being throttled by George, none of us laughed

We were pretty sure that there were no Lobsters on our path but one could never be too careful, especially while travelling with a wife and young children. Young Patsy was only 5 years old, far too young to have to go through anything traumatic, and we all planned to keep it that way. The walk to the docks wasn't very far, meaning that it would only take the full day at most to get everything on and to leave the coast behind. This was it, we were getting out of here once and for all

We left as early as we could, George having to carry a half asleep Patsy who grumbled and whined anytime someone tried to wake her up. Even Martha wasn't successful, so there George was, his tired daughter in his arms as he began to move. George and Martha stayed behind a moment to get one last look at their house, probably to share some last minute words before catching up with the rest of us who let them be. I'm sure we all could relate to their need for a proper goodbye. As I said before, I had to leave the home I shared with Betsy, but John and Aaron had to leave the houses they'd shared with their late wives, Lafayette had already left his home country god knows how long ago, and Hercules had to leave his shop not once, but now twice. Even the children were silent for the walk, but as soon as the docks came into view they quickly burst into fit of energy and excitement

Patsy was awake by the time we arrived and squirmed down from George's arms to join the bubbling excitement from the other children. Even the shy Georges was just as playful as everyone else. George led the way into the boat while Martha explained what their temporary life would hold in a kind and motherly tone so the kid would actually listen to her words and take them in. Thank god we had her with us-

Once the children were settled in Hercules and Aaron stationed themselves out on the main deck while Martha and the kids stayed inside "Hurry back, I don't like just waiting here" Hercules grumbled as the rest of us dropped our things and began our dash back to Mount Vernon to gather the rest of the supplies. It took less time than I had originally calculated and by midday we were all stocked up and ready to shove off. Martha had begun to organize everything with the held of the children and once George, Lafayette, John, and I had returned with everything else it wasn't long till things were packed away. It was more cramped than we thought but with all the children in one room, Aaron, John and I in the lounge and Lafayette, Hercules, George, and Martha sharing the master room we managed

George took to the helm as we gassed up and Lafayette took to the dock to untie us. Looking out onto the water it appeared to be smooth sailing as he navigated away from the wharf and into more open water. Everyone went inside to avoid seasickness and the hot sun bearing overhead while the children stumbled about, giggling and trying to get their balance. All except for Phillip who came and joined me out on the main deck "Is everything ok pops??" he asked as he tugged on my shirt. I was used to boats, after all I'd taken one to New York when I was a young man, so being back on one felt almost refreshing. I looked down at my son and nodded before reaching for the mask covering my face and taking it off, causing Phillip to gasp "Pops it's not safe!!" he said as I shook my head and took a deep breath, inhaling that calming scent of the salty sea air "It's alright son... we'll be safe out here" I said and smiled down at my son who's eyes lit up as he tore the mask off of his face with great enthusiasm

"This is so awesome!!" he said excitedly as he took a deep breath "Is this what it feels like to breath fresh air??" he asked as I held my son close, squeezing him tightly in a fatherly way "It is son... and soon, we won't ever have to wear these masks again. We can finally live a normal life again"


End file.
